Phoebe zhennan seed
LATIN NAME: PHOEBE ZHENNAN
COMMON NAME: Zhennan
In the deep evergreen forests of the west, the zhennan grows as a tall, straight, evergreen tree with the large, glossy, laurel-like leaves and the small, yellowish flowers in the loose panicles of the spring, the small, dark, fleshy fruits ripening in the autumn. Over the seasons it steadily builds a rounded crown, standing 5-10 metres at maturity. Full sun is ideal, in deep, fertile ground.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The zhennan holds a celebrated place in the studies of the great timber trees of the west, its straight bole and its golden heartwood keeping it in view in the work on the fragrant hardwood trees of the old palaces and the conservation of the old-growth forests. The research looks at the way the straight bole carries the crown, the dark fruits ripen and feed the birds, and the seed biology of the oily, short-lived seeds.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
In the sheltered garden and the forest garden, the zhennan rises with the straight, columnar trunk that has carried the fragrant, golden, fine-grained timber of the old halls and temples for centuries, the glossy crown giving a deep, cool shade. The stately evergreen asks for shelter and patience, and the tree makes the fine specimen tree, the timber tree and the tree of the sheltered, deep garden. It is a tree for the sheltered, shaded, deep and fertile place.
To grow the Zhennan from seed, sow the oily seeds at once, fresh from the dark fruits, on leafy soil.
Sow the oily seeds at once, fresh from the dark fruits, on leafy soil, and keep the young zhennans in the shaded, sheltered spot. The golden heartwood deepens with the years.
LATIN NAME: Phoebe zhennan
COMMON NAME: Zhennan, Nanmu, Chinese Phoebe
The zhennan is a tree of emperors, and its wood has been reserved for royalty for more than a thousand years. Over time it becomes a low, spreading mat, up to a metre tall. But the trees glory is its timber, called nanmu: a fine, straight-grained wood of a soft golden-brown colour, fragrant, easy to work and almost never attacked by insects or rot. It was used for the great halls and pillars of the imperial palaces of China, and its name still carries an echo of power and beauty.
The zhennan belongs to the laurel family, Lauraceae, and it is endemic to China, found in Guizhou, Hubei and Sichuan. It is threatened by habitat loss and is under second-class national protection in China, and it grows in the warm, moist forests of the mountains.
Positive & Encouraging Seed Germination Guide
Growing a zhennan from seed is a patient, rewarding project. The seeds sit inside the small, dark fruits, and they are best sown fresh, as soon as the fruit ripens, since they lose vigour quickly. Clean the seed and sow it in pots of free-draining compost, about a centimetre deep, and keep it warm, bright and evenly moist. Germination can be slow and uneven, with seedlings appearing over several weeks, so be patient. Grow the young trees on in pots, giving them warmth, humidity and shelter, and plant them out in a protected, partly shaded, moist spot once they are strong. A zhennan you have raised from seed is a tree for generations.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The zhennan has a distinguished place in both forestry and conservation research. Because its timber has been so highly valued for centuries, the species has been studied in forestry research for its growth, its wood properties and its cultivation, and researchers have examined how to grow it well and how to manage it sustainably. As a protected and threatened species, it is also the subject of conservation research, with studies of its regeneration, its habitat and its protection in the wild. The genus Phoebe has also been studied in phytochemistry, since members of the laurel family contain valuable aromatic and bioactive compounds. For a tree of such historic value and such conservation concern, the zhennan has a rich and important record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the zhennan is a noble tree of the Chinese forest. Its dense evergreen canopy gives shade and shelter for wildlife, its fruits feed birds, and it is a cornerstone of the moist mountain forests where it grows.
Its economic value is legendary. The nanmu timber is one of the most prized woods in China, used for fine furniture, timber-framed buildings, carvings and the great halls of palaces, and it has been valued so highly that its use was once restricted to the imperial court. Today it is protected, and its sustainable cultivation is being studied to secure its future. For a grower, the zhennan is a tree of great value and prestige, and for a gardener it brings the beauty of a true imperial tree.
Phoebe zhennan is a large species of tree up to 30 metres (98 ft) tall in the lauraceae family. It is endemic to China where it occurs in Guizhou, Hubei, and Sichuan provinces. It is threatened by habitat loss. The species is under second-class national protection in China. They were so valuable that only royal families could afford to use them. Notably, whole logs of Phoebe zhennan wood have been used in the construction .