Neolitsea Species, Buddhism Tree, Japanese Silver Tree

Neolitsea sericea is an evergreen, dioecious, broad leafed, woody species distributed mainly on the Zhoushan archipelago in eastern China...Read More, on the Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu and Ryukyu islands of Japan, and in a few areas of the southern coastal area of the Korean Peninsula. Individual female plants produce hundreds of red fruits in late autumn. Its young leaves are densely covered with silky, yellow-brown hairs which appear golden in the sunshine. The species has historically been associated with Buddhism, and is locally honoured as the ‘Buddhism tree’. Because of its graceful shape and religious connotation, N. sericea is commonly used as an ornamental tree in public gardens and streets of Zhoushan City, in Zhejiang Province. Neolitsea sericea is currently listed as an endangered plant in China. The oil obtained from the seed is used for burning, and the making of soap.