Phoebe bournei seed

LATIN NAME: Phoebe bournei

COMMON NAME: Bourne’s Phoebe, Zhejiang Nanmu

Bourne’s phoebe is a noble and precious tree of the Chinese forests, and its fine, straight trunk and its glossy, evergreen foliage have made it one of the most valued of the trees of the region. It grows as a tall, evergreen tree of the laurel family, reaching up to twenty metres, with a straight trunk and a rounded crown of glossy, leathery, oval leaves and, in the warm season, the small, inconspicuous, greenish flowers, followed by the small, dark, berry-like fruits, while the wood is fine, straight-grained and greatly prized. It is a species of the laurel family, endemic to China, where it occurs in the provinces of Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hubei and Jiangxi, and it is threatened by the habitat loss, while the species is under the second-class national protection in China.

Bourne’s phoebe belongs to the laurel family, Lauraceae, and it is a species of tree up to twenty metres tall, endemic to China, where it occurs in the provinces of Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hubei and Jiangxi. It is threatened by the habitat loss, and the species is under the second-class national protection in China, while it is prized for its fine, straight trunk and its precious wood.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

Bourne’s phoebe has a genuine and distinguished place in both forestry and conservation research. It has been studied in forestry and in the wood science, since its wood is fine, straight-grained and greatly prized, and researchers have examined the properties of the wood, its beauty and its uses, while the precious wood of the phoebe, known as the nanmu, has been used for the fine furniture and the buildings of the East for a very long time, and the value of the nanmu timber has drawn attention in the international wood and heritage press. Because the tree is threatened by the habitat loss and is under the second-class national protection in China, the species has also been studied in the conservation biology, and researchers have examined its status, its remaining forests and the pressures on it, while the protection of the precious Chinese hardwoods has drawn attention in the international conservation press, and the cultivation of the tree in the plantations has been encouraged. The tree has also been studied in ecology, since it is a native of the Chinese forests, and its growth and its role in the forest community have been examined. For a tree of such nobility and such value, Bourne’s phoebe has a rich and distinguished record of research.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

Ecologically, Bourne’s phoebe is a noble tree of the Chinese forests. Its glossy foliage gives shelter, and its small fruits feed the birds and the small animals, while it is a precious presence in the forests of Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hubei and Jiangxi.

Its economic value is enormous. Its fine, straight-grained wood, known as the nanmu, has been used for the fine furniture and the buildings of the East for a very long time, and its value has drawn attention in the international wood and heritage press, while, as a tree under the second-class national protection in China, its conservation has drawn attention in the international conservation press, and its cultivation in the plantations has been encouraged. For a grower, Bourne’s phoebe is a rewarding and noble tree, and for a gardener in a warm region it brings glossy foliage and a tree of precious renown. The seeds take well to a simple step — sow them fresh in a pot of moist, free-draining compost in a warm, bright spot, keep them lightly watered, and they’ll be sprouting within a few weeks, growing on into a noble, glossy-leaved tree.