Phoebe chekiangensis Seeds | Chekiang Phoebe
LATIN NAME: Phoebe chekiangensis
COMMON NAME: Chekiang Phoebe
Plant Profile
Known to gardeners as Chekiang Phoebe, Phoebe chekiangensis is a stately, evergreen tree in the family Lauraceae, native to southeastern China. In humid valleys of the lower Yangtze hills, chekiang phoebe grows as a stately, evergreen tree with large, glossy, lance-shaped leaves and small, greenish flowers in early summer, small, dark-blue fruits ripening in the autumn. It steadily establishes a rounded crown, eventually 5-10 metres tall. Full sun brings out its best, in deep, fertile ground. All of this makes Chekiang Phoebe a satisfying plant to grow and to get to know.
Science & Biotechnology
Like other members of Lauraceae, Phoebe chekiangensis draws steady attention from botanists and plant breeders, who value the genus both as a subject of research and as a source of garden-worthy material. The Zhejiang phoebe has a genuine and distinguished place in both forestry and conservation research. Centuries of cultivation have left a detailed record of how it grows and behaves.
Uses & Benefits
In the garden, Chekiang Phoebe earns its place in borders, containers and mixed plantings, and it also rewards growers who raise plants for cutting, drying or kitchen use. Ecologically, the Zhejiang phoebe is a noble tree of the Chinese woodlands. Its glossy foliage gives shelter, its small fruits feed birds and small animals, and its tall trunk is a presence in forests of Fujian, Jiangxi and Zhejiang, while it is a rare and precious tree of the region. For a grower, the Zhejiang 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. Getting it going is easy; keeping it going is easier still.
Phoebe gives the legendary golden-thread nanmu, the imperial timber of Chinese palaces, fragrant, stable and shimmering; the trees are long-lived treasures of Asian forests.
Growing from Seed
Chekiang Phoebe is one of those generous plants that come along well from seed. Sow the seeds evenly over the surface and cover lightly in a loose, well-drained seed compost, keep the sowing evenly moist, and give the pot or tray full sun. Once the seedlings have made true leaves, pot them on individually and plant out when they are sturdy and conditions are right.
Our Take
A plant of southeastern china, it carries that landscape’s resilience into the garden. From then on, routine care is all that is required.
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