Golden Flower Tea Plant: A Beautiful Greenery with Economic and Medicinal Value
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(Photo: mobot) |
Golden Flower Tea, known as Camellia chrysantha, is a small evergreen shrub that typically grows to a height of 2-5 meters. It features sparse branches with light yellow-gray bark and belongs to the Theaceae family. The leaves are simple, arranged alternately, and have a long, narrow, rounded shape. Every year, new shoots and leaves emerge from April to May, with older leaves falling off after 2-3 years. Flowering begins in November and lasts until March of the following year. The flowers appear individually in the leaf axils of new growth. They are a beautiful, glossy golden-yellow color, giving an impression of semi-transparency, with a diameter of 5-6 cm and a variety of cup or bowl shapes.
Golden Flower Tea thrives in hot and humid climates, typically found in well-drained, loose soil near shaded streams. Its natural distribution is quite limited, primarily found growing wild in the hilly areas of 100-200 meters in Ung Nhinh County, Nanning, Guangxi, China. It is classified as a Level I protected species in China.
The economic and medicinal value of Golden Flower Tea is notably high. The leaves can be brewed into tea and are used in traditional medicine to treat dysentery and to clean wounds and ulcers. The flowers can be used to treat bloody diarrhea and can also serve as a natural food coloring. The hard wood is suitable for making household items and handicrafts, while the seeds can be pressed for oil.
(Photo: webshots)
