Frost Red, a Chinese medicinal herb, is commonly seen being cultivated as a bonsai. Frost Red has numerous effects and functions. Let's learn about Frost Red together!
Hard-hair holly, also known as fine-leafed holly, small-leafed holly, and fine-hair whole holly. It is a deciduous shrub, 1-2m tall. The bark is gray, and the branches have hard hair or nearly no hair, with visible lenticels.
The leaves are alternate; petioles are 6-8mm long; leaf blades are membranous, elliptical, rarely ovoid, or inverted ovoid, 2-9cm long and 1-4cm wide;
The tips gradually taper, the bases are wedge-shaped, the margins have sharp serrations, the upper surface of the midrib is concave, the lower surface is convex, the venation is obvious, and both sides are sparsely covered with hard hair.
The umbel inflorescence is axillary; there are 4-5 male flowers, with 2.5mm long pedicels, 1.5-2mm diameter sepals, triangular sepals with soft hairs on the outside, and 4.5-5mm diameter corollas;
The petals are elongated, slightly fused at the base, and the stamens are slightly shorter than the corolla; there are 4-5 female flowers, with 2-3mm long pedicels, sepals resembling male flowers, 4.5mm diameter corollas, oval petals, oval ovaries, and disc-shaped styles.
The fruit is spherical, about 5mm in diameter, red, and has 4-5 (rarely 1) stone fruits, which are broadly elliptical and smooth on the back with a leathery endocarp. It flowers from August to September and fruits in October.
Frost Red should be repotted once a year in spring, replacing the old soil with new cultivation soil (including organic fertilizer and pesticide to eliminate underground pests).
When repotting, use bamboo slices to rotate along the inner wall of the pot, then invert the pot, hold the plant and soil ball with your hand, and let it tilt under the force of gravity.
Then use a sharp knife to remove the old soil and roots on the outer 3-4cm of the soil ball, and put it into a new pot filled with cultivation soil. Fill the surrounding area with new cultivation soil and compact it, then water it thoroughly.
It is important to note that measures should be taken to protect against cold in colder areas during winter.
Frost Red prefers moist and semi-shady places, so during the strong sunlight at noon, a shade net should be pulled open to avoid high temperatures caused by strong light, which can affect the growth of Frost Red. After 4 p.m., when the light is weaker, the shade net should be closed. However, it is necessary to pay attention that the shade net is like a shady shed, providing a comfortable environment for the plant.
