Myrica rubra seeds Yumberry Red Bayberry
LATIN NAME: MORELLA RUBRA
COMMON NAME: Yangmei, Red Bayberry
The Morella rubra, or yangmei, is one of the most delicious and distinctive of the Chinese fruits, and its round, bright-red, bumpy, sweet-tart fruits which ripen in the early summer and its glossy, dark-green, aromatic leaves have made it a tree of the warm woodlands and the orchards across the regions of the East Asia. It grows as a small to medium-sized, evergreen tree of the wax myrtle family, reaching up to fifteen metres or more, with the smooth, grey bark and the dense, rounded crown bearing alternate, glossy, dark-green, aromatic, oval leaves which smell of resin when crushed, and bearing, in the spring, the small, yellow-green flowers on the separate male and the female trees, followed by the round, bright-red, bumpy, sweet-tart fruits on the female trees which ripen in the early summer. It is a species of the flowering tree, native to the warm woodlands of the East Asia, while it has been cultivated for its fruit for thousands of years, and it is known as the yangmei or the red bayberry.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The yangmei has a real and distinguished place in research. It has been studied in the food science and the nutrition, since the Morella rubra produces the bright-red, sweet-tart fruits which are rich in the anthocyanins, the antioxidants and the vitamin C, and the researchers have examined the fruits, their composition and their nutrition, while the study of the Chinese fruits has drawn attention in the international food and nutritional press. The tree has also been studied in the horticulture and the fruit science, since the yangmei is a popular fruit tree of the East Asia and a useful evergreen for the warm garden, and the researchers have examined its cultivation, its propagation and its value, while the study of the fruit trees has been of continuing interest. The species has also been studied in the botany and the taxonomy, since it is a member of the wax myrtle family and a relative of the other bayberries and the wax myrtles, and its relationships, its distribution and its many cultivars have been examined, while the glossy, aromatic leaves and the bright-red, bumpy fruits of the yangmei have been of interest to the botanists and the fruit growers. For a fruit of such distinction, the Morella rubra has a rich and distinguished record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
To grow the Yangmei from seed, the yangmei is a small to medium-sized, evergreen tree of the warm woodlands, bearing the glossy, dark-green, aromatic leaves and the round, bright-red, bumpy, sweet-tart fruits in the early summer. Its fruits are a food for the birds and the wildlife, and its dense, evergreen crown gives a fine shade in the warm garden and the orchard, while its sweet-tart, bright-red fruits are a popular fruit in the East Asia. Its economic value is real: the yangmei is prized for its delicious, sweet-tart fruit and as an evergreen tree for the warm garden, and its value has drawn attention in the international food and horticultural press, while the bright-red fruits and the easy cultivation have made it a favourite of the orchards and the warm gardens, and the tree is a fine addition to the orchard, the warm garden and the large container. To raise the yangmei, sow the seeds in pots of moist, open soil in a warm, bright place, keep them gently watered, and grow the little trees on in the warmth.
sow the seeds in pots of moist, open soil in a warm, bright place, keep the young yangmei gently watered, and grow the little trees on in the warmth.
Synonyms: Yang Mei or Yangmei (Chinese), Yamamomo (Japanese), Yumberry, Chinese Bayberry, Japanese Bayberry, Red Bayberry, Chinese Strawberry Tree (not to be confused with Arbutus species).
Yumberry/Red Bayberry is a subtropical/temperate tree grown for its sweet crimson to dark purple-red fruit.
It is native to eastern Asia, mainly in China, where it has been grown for at least 2000 years, and probably also Japan and South-East Asia as well. Chinese cultivation is concentrated south of the Yangtze River, where it is of considerable economic importance. It’s so popular there that about twice as many acres are cultivated as the acres cultivated of apples in the US.
In Japan, it is the prefectural flower of Ko-chi and the prefectural tree of Tokushima. The plant's name appears in many old Japanese poems.
It is a small to medium-sized tree growing to 10-20 metres in height, evergreen, with smooth gray bark and a uniform spherical to hemispherical crown. It is dioecious, with separate male and female plants and is pollinated by Wind. It tolerates poor acidic soils. The root system is shallow (5–60 cm), with no obvious taproot. It can fix Nitrogen. It is hardy to zone 10.
The fruit is spherical, 1.5-2.5 cm in diameter, with a knobbly surface. The surface colour is typically a deep, brilliant red, but may vary from white to purple. The flesh colour is similar to surface colour, or somewhat lighter. The flesh is sweet and tart. At the centre is a single seed, with a diameter about half that of the whole fruit.
Uses Besides fresh consumption, the fruits are commonly dried, canned, soaked in baijiu (a Chinese liquor), or fermented into alcoholic beverages. A yellow or brown dye may be prepared from the bark. The plant is also used as ornamental trees for parks and streets.
The fruit has a wonderful unique taste. Succulent, juicy and aromatic, it has a great sub-acid taste. The fruit does not ripen well after it is picked. The fruit is very delicate and soon rots after picking so it is difficult to grow commercially because of the problems of getting it to market in good condition. The fruit is up to 2.5cm/1inch in diameter. The seed is said to be edible too.
Historical Medicinal Uses The stem bark is used as a wash in the treatment of arsenic poisoning, skin diseases, wounds and ulcers. The fruit is carminative, pectoral and stomachic. The seed is used in the treatment of sweaty feet. The plant is used in the treatment of cholera, heart ailments and stomach diseases.
Cultivation details: Prefers a moist soil. Grows well in an open position in a well-drained soil in sun or light shade. Thrives in any ordinary garden soil. Prefers a lime-free loamy or peaty soil. Not very hardy in Britain, it succeeds outdoors in the milder areas of the country according to one report, whilst another says that it only succeeds in zone 10 and does not tolerate frosts. In China it seems to grow in colder places than zone 10 though. Plants succeed outdoors in Japan as far north as Tokyo, but it is difficult to get them to fruit there. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus. Many species in this genus have a symbiotic relationship with certain soil micro-organisms, these form nodules on the roots of the plants and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilised by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby.