• Photo of Alangium chinense (Alangium chinenses)

Plant Profile: Alangium chinense

Names


  • Photo of Alangium chinense (Alangium chinenses)

Phonetic Spelling:al-LAN-jee-um chi-NEN-see

Genus:Alangium

Species:chinense

Family:Cornaceae

An evergreen species found in the highland thickets of Africa and tropical Asia, this plant can range from an appealing shrub to a small tree, with variations in size, foliage, and fruit depending on its geographical origin. In southern regions, it retains its leaves year-round, while in northern areas, it may shed them seasonally. Severe weather conditions can lead to dieback. Although it can be challenging to locate for purchase, some individuals have thrived in Pennsylvania.

For optimal growth, it should be planted in well-drained, moist soil and placed in full sunlight.

Alangium chinense Feature Summary

Alangium chinense Image Gallery

Tags

#evergreen
#fragrant flowers
#specimen
#thickets
#evergreen tree

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Alangium chinense Feature Summary

Attributes
Used in Chinese and African herbal medicine. Oil from the seeds can be used to light lamps
Africa and Tropical Asia
Fruit
Oval purple drupe that ripens late summer into fall.
Purple/Lavender
Flowers
Small white fragrant flowers with 5-8 petals
7 - 20 petals/rays
Leaves
Leaves 4-6 × 1.5-3 inches and vary from narrowly elliptic to broadly ovate. The apex is acute to mucronate and the base rounded or subcuneate to subcordate. Margins are entire to slightly undulate and occasionally palmately lobed on young plants. Fall color is a muted yellow
Deciduous
Broadleaf Evergreen
Ovate
Palmasect
3-6 inches
1-3 inches
Bark
The bark is smooth and grey.
Dark Gray
Stem
Branchlets pubescent when young, later glabrous
Hairy (pubescent)
Whole Plant Traits
Deciduous
Broadleaf Evergreen
Erect
Oval
Medium
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Good Drainage
Moist
Coastal
Piedmont
7a
7b
8b
8a
9a
9b
10a
10b
11a
11b
Clay
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Landscape
Accent
Specimen

Alangium chinense Attributes

Alangium chinense: Uses (Ethnobotany)

Used in Chinese and African herbal medicine. Oil from the seeds can be used to light lamps

Alangium chinense: Country Or Region Of Origin

Africa and Tropical Asia

Alangium chinense: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Alangium chinense: Recommended Propagation Strategy

Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting

Alangium chinense Fruit

Alangium chinense: Fruit Description

Oval purple drupe that ripens late summer into fall.

Alangium chinense: Fruit Type

Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua

Alangium chinense: Fruit Color

grass
Purple/Lavender

Alangium chinense: Display/Harvest Time

Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter

Alangium chinense Flowers

Alangium chinense: Flower Description

Small white fragrant flowers with 5-8 petals

Alangium chinense: Flower Color

filter_vintage
White

Alangium chinense: Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Alangium chinense: Flower Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Alangium chinense: Flower Petals

2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals

Alangium chinense Leaves

Alangium chinense: Leaf Description

Leaves 4-6 × 1.5-3 inches and vary from narrowly elliptic to broadly ovate. The apex is acute to mucronate and the base rounded or subcuneate to subcordate. Margins are entire to slightly undulate and occasionally palmately lobed on young plants. Fall color is a muted yellow

Alangium chinense: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Alangium chinense: Leaf Color

spa
Green

Alangium chinense: Deciduous Leaf Fall Color

spa
Gold/Yellow

Alangium chinense: Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Alangium chinense: Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Alangium chinense: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Alangium chinense: Leaf Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Alangium chinense: Leaf Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Alangium chinense Bark

Alangium chinense: Bark Description

The bark is smooth and grey.

Alangium chinense: Bark Color

grass
Dark Gray

Alangium chinense Stem

Alangium chinense: Stem Description

Branchlets pubescent when young, later glabrous

Alangium chinense: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Alangium chinense: Stem Surface

Corky Ridges
Covered with a powdery bloom (glaucous)
Dull
Hairy (pubescent)
Polished
Smooth (glabrous)

Alangium chinense Whole Plant Traits

Alangium chinense: Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Alangium chinense: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Alangium chinense: Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Alangium chinense: Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Alangium chinense: Texture

Fine
Medium
Coarse

Alangium chinense Cultural Conditions

Alangium chinense: Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Alangium chinense: Soil pH

Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)

Alangium chinense: Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Alangium chinense: NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Alangium chinense: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
10a
thermostat
10b
thermostat
11a
thermostat
11b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b
thermostat
8a
thermostat
8b
thermostat
9a
thermostat
9b

Alangium chinense: Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Alangium chinense Landscape

Alangium chinense: Design Feature

Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree