Red Frost is a medicinal herb, also known as Xie Ye Dong Qing, Xiao Ye Dong Qing, and Mao Qiu Zi Cao. It is distributed in Jiangxi, Hunan, Sichuan, and other regions. Let's take a look at its specific uses and characteristics together!
Red Frost
【Red Frost】
Origin: "Jiangxi Medicinal Plants"
Aliases: Xie Ye Dong Qing, Xiao Ye Dong Qing, Xi Mao Quan Dong ("Jiangxi Medicinal Plants"), Mao Qiu Zi Cao, Chuang Cao ("Fujian Medicinal Plants").
Source: Leaves of the holly plant Red Frost. It is mostly harvested fresh in summer and autumn.
Properties:
① "Jiangxi Medicinal Plants": Bitter, cold.
② "Fujian Medicinal Plants": Sweet and bitter, cool.
Appearance: Deciduous shrub, 1-4 meters tall. Small branches have fine hairs.
Leaves are alternate; leaf blades are elliptic or lanceolate, 2-6 cm long, with a sharp tip and finely serrated edges, and have hairs on both sides.
Several flowers cluster in the leaf axils; they are pale purple or white. The fruit is spherical and turns bright red when ripe. It flowers in June.
Growing environment: Red Frost often grows in sparsely wooded slopes above 1200m in altitude. It is distributed in Jiangxi, Hunan, Sichuan, and other regions.
【Functions and Indications of Red Frost】
① "Jiangxi Medicinal Plants": Cools blood, stops bleeding, detoxifies. It treats burns, mouth ulcers, and external bleeding.
② "Fujian Medicinal Plants": Clears heat and detoxifies. It treats ulcers and sores.
【Basic Characteristics of Red Frost】
Red Frost is a deciduous shrub that can grow up to 5m tall. It has long and short branches, and the new branches are covered in fine hairs with obvious lenticels.
The leaves are elliptic or ovate, 2.5 cm long, with finely serrated edges, dark green on the surface, and short hairs on the back.
The flowers have short stalks and form simple umbel inflorescences in the leaf axils. The fruits are spherical, 4-5mm in diameter, and red. It blooms in June and the fruits ripen in October.
It is native to Japan and areas in Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi, and Sichuan in China.
It prefers sunlight and fertile soil with moderate humidity. It has strong sprouting ability and is resistant to pruning.
The bright red fruits of this species are particularly eye-catching in the autumn and winter after the leaves have fallen, making gardens especially beautiful. It is also a good material for bonsai and flower arrangements. There are varieties with yellow and white fruits.
