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Cunninghamia lanceolata

Common name:	Chinese Fir	Family:	Taxodiaceae
Author:	(Lamb.)Hook.	Botanical references:	11, 200, 266
Synonyms:	Pinus lanceolata (Lamb.), Cunninghamia sinensis (Rich.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - China.
Habitat:	Mixed broad-leaved forests, rocky hillsides and roadsides, 200 - 2800 metres in most temperate areas of China[266]. Often forming small, pure stands on red sandstone soils[109].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	0	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	2

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	Belis lanceolata[G]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Chinafir [DEN1], Chinese Fir [H,P], Chinese-fir [B], Sha Mu [E], Shan [E],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	lanceolata = lance shaped;
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Pinales. Redwood family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	China

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen tree growing to 15m by 6m . It is hardy to zone 7. It is in leaf all year, in flower from January to May, and the seeds ripen from August to September. The scented flowers are monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and are pollinated by Wind. We rate it 0/5 for edibility and 2/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very acid soil. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Canopy, Secondary.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Antidote; Carminative; Miscellany; Skin.

Antidote, carminative.
A decoction of the wood is used in the treatment of varnish poisoning (from species of Rhus), chronic ulcers, hernia etc[178, 218].
An essential oil from the plant is used to treat bruises, pain, rheumatism and wounds[218].
The ash of the bark is used to treat burns, scalds and wounds[218].
A decoction of the cone is used in the treatment of coughs[218].

Other Uses

Charcoal; Wood.

Wood - light, fragrant, durable but rots easily if it is continually wet, easily worked, resists insects damage. Used in construction, ship building etc wherever great strength is required[1, 46, 61, 178]. The wood is strongly resistant to rot, is not eaten by termites, and is easily worked. It is used in constructing buildings, bridges, ships, and lamp posts, in furniture manufacture, and for wood fiber[266]. A charcoal can be made from the wood[178].

Cultivation details

Requires a rich warm soil and a sheltered sunny position[1, 164]. Dislikes soil with free lime otherwise the pH is unimportant[200].
This species is only hardy in the milder areas of Britain according to one report[1] whilst another says that it can tolerate temperatures down to about -25°c[200]. This figure could be a misprint for -15°c since the report also says that it is a zone 7 plant[K]. There are trees 25 metres tall in &ndndndnd and 18 metres tall in Kent[11, 185]. Young trees can make quite rapid growth in height, up to 60cm a year once they have attained more than 1 metre in height[185]. Before reaching the height of 1 metre, however, they are liable to be killed by frost[185].
This is the main re-afforestation tree in China[46, 61]. The most important fast-growing timber tree of the warm regions south of the Chang Jiang valley of China[266]. Unlike most conifers, this species can be coppiced[1].
The bruised foliage emits a delicious resinous aroma[245].
This species is notably resistant to honey fungus[200].

Propagation

Seed - sow late winter in a greenhouse[78]. If the seed does not germinate within 8 weeks then 3 weeks cold stratification may speed up the process[164]. Germination usually takes place in 1 - 6 months at 18°c[164]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half ripe wood, 5 - 8cm with a heel, July/August in a frame[78].
Division of suckers[266].

Scent

Leaves: Crushed: The bruised foliage emits a delicious resinous aroma.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[DEN] Data _ Photos (Good Identification info) from the Virginia Tech's Dendrology Deptarments' Tree Fact Sheets.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for Cunninghamia sinensis (a possible synonym).

[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.

References for the family Taxodiaceae.

[CHINA] Data Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[109] Wilson. E. H. Plantae Wilsonae.
Details of the palnts collected by the plant collector E. H. Wilson on his travels in China. Gives some habitats. Not for the casual reader.

[164] Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan. 1990
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. A good article on Yuccas, one on Sagebrush (Artemesia spp) and another on Chaerophyllum bulbosum.

[178] Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre
A translation of an ancient Chinese herbal. Fascinating.

[185] Mitchell. A. F. Conifers in the British Isles. HMSO 1975 ISBN 0-11-710012-9
A bit out of date (first published in 1972), but an excellent guide to how well the various species of conifers grow in Britain giving locations of trees.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

[266] Flora of China 1994
On-line version of the Flora - an excellent resource giving basic info on habitat and some uses.

Readers Comments

Cunninghamia lanceolata

Bo Whalen (wjwhalenjr@charter.net) Fri Feb 7 00:27:29 2003

looking for what has been called blue chinese fir. my sister has one in a container but has no other info.

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