China's Flora Tour: A spot of red in the green of Sichuan's valley
By Xu Chenlu

When the autumn rain washes over the valley of Tangjiahe Nature Reserve in southwest China's Sichuan Province, clusters of adorable red berries are seen hanging on trees, inviting wildlife to forage. This is the Orange Magnoliavine, with a Chinese name of "five-flavor-fruit."

The orange magnoliavine. /VCG Photo

The orange magnoliavine. /VCG Photo

The Orange Magnoliavine does not really have five flavors. Instead, it tastes bitter and sour. The tree flowers from April to July, and produces berries until September.

The dried berries of orange magnoliavine. /VCG Photo

The dried berries of orange magnoliavine. /VCG Photo

In Sichuan Province, especially areas around Guangyuan City, farmers like to grow it as a cash crop, since the berry is taken as part of traditional Chinese medicine. Still, oil is pressed from the seeds to make soap and lubricating oil.

Herbal tea made from the berries. /VCG Photo

Herbal tea made from the berries. /VCG Photo

The Orange Magnoliavine prefers hot and humid climate, which can be found in the valley in Sichuan and other parts of central and southern China.

China's Flora Tour

From the wetlands along the coast to the dense rain forests hidden in the southwest of China, all boast an array of plant species. In this series, we will go on a tour to learn about some of the most iconic flora in different provinces and see how they live in harmony with the local climate and topography. 

(Cover image by CGTN's Liu Zihao, designed by CGTN's Li Wenyi)

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at nature@cgtn.com.)