Phellodendron chinense
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- fel-oh-DEN-dron chi-NEN-see
- Description
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Chinese Corktree is a flowering deciduous tree in the citrus family, native to Southern and Central China, with a rounded, spreading crown. It will typically reach a mature height and width of 30 feet with a short trunk and low branches. The leaves are more than a foot long and slightly hairy. The flowers are small, green, and bunched on a hairy panicle. The bark is harvested to produce one of the fundamental herbs in Chinese Medicine; however, it acts strongly on the kidneys and should only be prepared under professional supervision.
Chinese Corktree does best in moist, well-drained soil in full sun. It will tolerate clay and sandy soils, but does not do well in the shade. It is dioecious (only one sex is to be found on any one plant) so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required. It is slow growing and can take ten years or more to fully mature. When first planted, the tree is not frost hardy and young growth can be damaged by late frosts.
This tree may be difficult to find for sale in the USA.
Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems:
No known diseases or insect pests.
- See this plant in the following landscape :
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Phellodendron
- Species:
- chinense
- Family:
- Rutaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- The bark of mature trees is harvested and dried for later use in concocting and herbal medicine; one of the 50 fundamental herbs in Chinese medicine.
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Southern China
- Dimensions:
- Height: 20 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 20 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Rounded
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Maintenance:
- Low
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Black
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Berry
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Fruits are black, 2/3 of an inch wide, aromatic, and closely packed in a panicle. Seeds ripen in early fall.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Panicle
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Summer
- Flower Description:
- Flowers are small, yellowish green, and crowded on a short, very downy panicle. Plant is either male or female. Flowers in June.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Glossy
- Smooth
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Lanceolate
- Oblong
- Ovate
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Dark yellow-green pinnate, 15 inch long leaves with 7 to 13 leaflets (3 to 5 inches) that are ovate-elliptic to oblong-lanceolate. Base cuneate to attenuate and oblique, apex mucronate to acuminate. The main stalk is downy.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Light Brown
- Light Gray
- Bark Description:
- Grayish-brown bark is ridged and corky. The common name Chinese Cork tree refers to the resemblance of the bark of this tree to the bark of the true cork tree, Quercus suber, an unrelated oak family member.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Asian Garden
