“Lian Qiao, the name of the Chinese herb. Also known as: Luo Qiao, Huang Hua Tiao, Huang Lian Tiao Hua, Huang Hua Gan, Huang Shou Dan. It is the dried fruit of the plant Forsythia suspensa (Thunb.) Vahl, belonging to the Oleaceae family. It has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, reducing swelling and dispersing nodules, and dispersing wind-heat. It is primarily used for treating carbuncles, swollen toxins, scrofula, phlegm nodules, wind-heat exterior conditions, and initial stages of warm diseases, as well as painful heat stranguria.”
Properties and Channels
It is slightly cold in nature and bitter in taste. It enters the Lung (Fei) channel, Heart (Xin) channel, and Small Intestine (Xiao Chang) channel.
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Functions and Actions
Functions
Clears heat and detoxifies, reduces swelling and disperses nodules, disperses wind-heat. It belongs to the category of heat-clearing and detoxifying herbs.
Indications
1. Carbuncles and swollen toxins, scrofula phlegm nodules: This herb is bitter and cold, primarily entering the Heart channel, capable of clearing Heart fire and dissipating swellings, earning it the title of “sacred medicine for sores.”
2. Wind-heat exterior conditions, initial stages of warm diseases: This herb’s bitterness can clear and drain, and its cold nature can clear heat, entering the Heart and Lung channels, excelling at clearing Heart fire and dispersing wind-heat in the upper jiao.
3. Painful heat stranguria: This herb is bitter and cold, promoting urination and has the function of clearing the Heart.
Dosage and Administration
For internal use: decocted, 6-15g.
Precautions
Not suitable for those with spleen and stomach deficiency-cold or qi deficiency with purulent conditions.
Chemical Components
This herb contains triterpenoid saponins, the fruit peel contains sterols, forsythoside, alkaloids, saponins, oleanolic acid, coumarin compounds, and is rich in vitamin P and a small amount of volatile oil.
Pharmacological Actions
Lian Qiao has broad-spectrum antibacterial effects, with the main antibacterial components being forsythoside and volatile oil, which have strong inhibitory effects on Staphylococcus aureus and Shigella, and also inhibit other pathogenic bacteria, influenza viruses, and Leptospira; this herb has anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effects. The oleanolic acid it contains has cardiotonic, diuretic, and antihypertensive effects; vitamin P can reduce vascular permeability and fragility, preventing hemolysis. Its decoction has antiemetic and hepatoprotective effects.
Related Discussions
1. “Shen Nong’s Herbal Classic”: “It is used for cold and heat, mouse fistula, scrofula, carbuncles, ulcers, goiter, heat accumulation, and poison.”
2. “Pearl Bag”: “Lian Qiao has three uses: to drain Heart heat, to clear various heats in the upper jiao, and as a sacred medicine for sores.”
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Clinical Applications
Clinical Applications
① Treatment of acute nephritis
Take 6 qian of Lian Qiao, add water and decoct until 150 ml, divide into three doses before meals, reduce for children. Depending on the condition, continue for 5-10 days, avoiding spicy foods and salt. In 8 patients, all had edema, blood pressure ranged from 140-200/96-110 mmHg, and urine tests showed protein, granular casts, and red and white blood cells. After treatment, all 6 cases of edema resolved, 2 showed significant improvement; blood pressure decreased significantly; urine tests turned negative in 6 cases, with 2 improving.
② Treatment of purpura
Take 6 qian of Lian Qiao, add water and decoct to 150 ml, divide into three doses before meals, avoiding spicy foods. Treated 1 case of thrombocytopenic purpura and 2 cases of allergic purpura. After 2-7 days of treatment, all skin purpura resolved. The effect of Lian Qiao on this condition may be related to its high content of rutin, which helps maintain normal capillary resistance and reduces capillary fragility and permeability; additionally, Lian Qiao seems to have a desensitizing effect.
③ Treatment of lung abscess
Prepare an injection of Lian Qiao, with 1 gram of Lian Qiao per milliliter. Administer via tracheal drip combined with intramuscular injection. Tracheal drip generally uses 6-10 ml once daily; after symptoms improve, administer every other day; when approaching shrinkage or closure, administer twice a week. Treated 25 cases, with 14 cured, 10 improved, and 1 death; in 18 cases, the average treatment duration was 12 days for fever resolution, with an average of 26.8 tracheal drips, the maximum being 50 times.
④ Treatment of retinal hemorrhage
Take 6-7 qian of Lian Qiao, decoct with water, divide into three doses before meals; in 2 cases of retinal macular hemorrhage, after 20-27 days of medication, significant absorption was noted, and vision improved.
Its leaves are used for treating hypertension, dysentery, and sore throat with good effects.
Related Combinations
Lian Qiao combined with Zhe Bei Mu: Lian Qiao excels at clearing heat and draining fire, dispersing nodules and reducing swelling; Zhe Bei Mu can clear heat, transform phlegm, soften hardness, and disperse nodules, opening up and descending qi. The two herbs complement each other, working together to clear heat, drain fire, transform phlegm, and reduce swelling and soften hardness. It is suitable for phlegm-heat accumulation leading to scrofula, phlegm nodules, and cough due to lung phlegm-heat.
Distinguishing Medications
1. Lian Qiao vs. Jin Yin Hua: Both have heat-clearing and detoxifying effects, capable of dispersing heat to the surface and clearing internal heat and detoxifying. They are often used together for exterior wind-heat, initial stages of warm diseases, and heat-toxic sores. However, the distinguishing point is that Lian Qiao has a stronger ability to clear Heart and detoxify, excelling at dissipating abscesses and dispersing nodules, also treating scrofula and phlegm nodules; while Jin Yin Hua is superior at dispersing surface heat and, when charred, is good at cooling blood and stopping dysentery, used for heat-toxic blood dysentery.
2. Qing Qiao vs. Huang Qiao: Qing Qiao is harvested in early autumn when the fruit is initially ripe and still green; Huang Qiao is harvested before the cold dew when the fruit is fully ripe. Qing Qiao is preferred for medicinal use.
3. Jing Lian Qiao vs. Lian Qiao Xin: Both can clear heat and detoxify, dissipate abscesses and disperse nodules, primarily treating abscesses, sores, and initial stages of warm diseases. However, Jing Lian Qiao is slightly bitter and cold, capable of dispersing both exterior and interior heat and detoxifying, with the ability to dissipate abscesses and disperse nodules, primarily treating abscesses, sores, and exterior wind-heat, initial stages of warm diseases. Lian Qiao Xin primarily enters the Heart and Pericardium channels, focusing on clearing Heart fire and removing heat from the Pericardium, thus used for warm diseases with heat entering the Pericardium, high fever, and delirium.
Related Medicinal Products
Jian Er Qing Jie Ye, Xiao Er Xiao Ji Zhi Ke Kou Fu Ye, Compound Shuang Hua Granules, Yin Qiao Shuang Jie Suppositories, Lian Qiao Bai Du Wan, Shuang Qing Kou Fu Ye.
Related Formulas
① For treating mastitis: Lian Qiao 15g, Pu Gong Ying 30g, Wang Bu Liu Xing 9g, Ye Ju Hua 15g. Decoction for oral use. (“Qingdao Chinese Herbal Medicine Handbook”)
② For treating intestinal abscess: Lian Qiao 15g, Huang Qin, Zhi Zi each 12g, Jin Yin Hua 18g. Decoction for oral use. (“Qingdao Chinese Herbal Medicine Handbook”)
③ For treating tongue ulcers: Lian Qiao 15g, Huang Bai 9g, Gan Cao 6g, decoct for gargling. (“Yu Qiao Yi Ling”)
④ For treating halitosis: Lian Qiao powdered into pills, after eating garlic or leeks, take 6-9g with tea to transform foul breath into fresh breath. (“Chi Shui Xuan Zhu” halitosis formula)
⑤ For treating allergic purpura: Lian Qiao 12g, Hong Zao 30g. Decoction for oral use. (“Ningxia Chinese Herbal Medicine Handbook”)
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Processing and Preparation
Harvesting and Processing
Harvest in autumn when the fruit is initially ripe and still green, remove impurities, steam, and dry, commonly referred to as “Qing Qiao.” Harvest when the fruit is fully ripe, dry, remove impurities, commonly referred to as “Lao Qiao.” After harvesting Qing Qiao, steam and dry immediately, and the seeds are used as “Lian Qiao Xin.”
Preparation Methods
1. Lian Qiao: Take the original herb, remove impurities and fruit stems, wash clean with water, and dry. Sift out fallen hearts and ash.
2. Zhu Lian Qiao: Take Jing Lian Qiao, moisten with water, mix evenly in a container, sprinkle with vermilion powder, mix slightly, and dry. For every 100 kg of Lian Qiao, use 2 kg of vermilion powder.
3. Lian Qiao Charcoal: Take Jing Lian Qiao, place in a pot, heat with strong fire until 70-80% black. Remove and cool.
Storage Methods
Store in a dry container in a ventilated and dry place, ensuring Lian Qiao charcoal dissipates heat promptly to prevent re-ignition.
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Identification of Medicinal Materials
Identification
1. The cross-section of the fruit shows: the outer fruit skin consists of a single layer of flat cells, with thickened outer and side walls, covered by a cuticle. The outer side of the middle fruit skin has vascular bundles scattered in the thin-walled tissue; the inner side of the middle fruit skin consists of multiple rows of stone cells, which are elongated, round, or oval, with varying wall thickness, often arranged in a mosaic pattern. The inner fruit skin consists of a single layer of thin-walled cells.
2. Take 1g of the powdered sample, add 20ml of petroleum ether (30-60℃), seal tightly, and sonicate for 15 minutes, filter, discard the petroleum ether solution, dry the residue, add 20ml of methanol, seal tightly, and sonicate for 20 minutes, filter, and evaporate the filtrate to dryness. Dissolve the residue in 5ml of methanol to prepare the test solution. Take 1g of Lian Qiao as a control herb and prepare the control solution in the same manner. Then take the forsythoside reference substance, dissolve in methanol to prepare a solution containing 0.25mg per ml, as the reference solution. Perform thin-layer chromatography (TLC) tests, applying 3μl of each of the three solutions onto the same silica gel G plate, using chloroform-methanol (8:1) as the developing agent, develop, remove, dry, and spray with 10% ethanol sulfuric acid solution, heating at 105℃ until spots are clearly visible. In the test solution, spots of the same color as those in the control herb and reference solution should appear at corresponding positions.
Characteristics of Medicinal Materials
1. The fruit is elongated oval to oval, slightly flattened, measuring 1-2.5cm in length and 0.5-1.3cm in diameter. The surface has irregular longitudinal wrinkles and many small raised spots, with a prominent longitudinal groove on each side. The tip is sharply pointed, and the base has a small fruit stem or has fallen off.
2. Qing Qiao is mostly uncracked, with a greenish-brown surface and fewer raised grayish-white spots; it is hard; the seeds are mostly yellow-green, elongated, with wings on one side. Lao Qiao cracks from the tip or splits into two lobes, with a yellow-brown or reddish-brown surface, the inner surface mostly light yellow-brown, smooth, with longitudinal partitions; it is brittle; the seeds are brown, mostly fallen off. It has a slight fragrance and a bitter taste.
Characteristics of Slices
1. Lian Qiao: Refer to the “Medicinal Materials” section.
2. Zhu Lian Qiao: The surface has a slight amount of fine vermilion powder.
3. Lian Qiao Charcoal: The surface is black. Store in a dry container in a ventilated and dry place, ensuring Lian Qiao charcoal dissipates heat promptly to prevent re-ignition.
Counterfeit Lian Qiao
(1) Qin Lian Qiao
Qin Lian Qiao fruit is long oval, measuring 0.5-1.8cm in length and 0.3-1.0cm in diameter, with a sharply pointed tip, mostly cracked, and the base often connected, with a light brown surface, relatively smooth, and the small raised spots are not obvious, one lobe slightly bent to the side, the other lobe slightly bent outward, resembling a chicken beak. It contains two seeds, light brown, elongated oval, with a wing-like structure, one side has 3-5 prominent longitudinal ridges, most seeds have fallen off, with a slight fragrance and a bitter taste.
(2) Jin Zhong Hua (Narrow-leaved Lian Qiao)
Narrow-leaved Lian Qiao is toxic, with stems usually having plate-like pith between nodes, leaves slightly wider and not divided, fruit slightly shorter and oval, measuring 1.0-2.0cm, with a slightly thin fruit skin, and warty protrusions at the base, distributed on both sides of the longitudinal grooves from the middle to the top, brittle texture, with golden-yellow seeds that have three edges, and the seed coat is wrinkled with irregular patterns, easily falling apart when crushed.
(3) Oval Lian Qiao
Oval Lian Qiao fruit is oval-shaped, measuring 0.8-1.1cm, with a fruit skin that has small protrusions and irregular fine longitudinal wrinkles, hard texture, with light yellow seeds that have three edges, and the seed coat easily falls off when crushed, with no fibers connecting.
(4) Lijiang Lian Qiao
Lijiang Lian Qiao fruit is oval, about 1cm long, with no protrusions on the fruit skin, having irregular longitudinal wrinkles, hard texture, with brown or reddish-brown seeds that have three edges, and no fibers connecting when crushed.
(5) Exotic Lian Qiao
Exotic Lian Qiao fruit is flat oval, about 1.5cm long, with a black-brown fruit skin that has irregular longitudinal wrinkles, with brown seeds that are elongated, slightly curved, with wings on one side, and semi-transparent.
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Botanical Information
Plant Species
Forsythia suspensa, a plant of the Oleaceae family.
Morphological Characteristics
Deciduous shrub. The branches are spreading or drooping, brown, brownish-yellow, or light yellow-brown, with young branches being yellow-brown or gray-brown, slightly quadrangular, sparsely dotted with lenticels, hollow between nodes, and solid pith at the nodes. The leaves are usually simple or trifoliate, with leaflets that are oval, broad oval, or oval-shaped, measuring 2-10cm in length and 1.5-5cm in width, with a sharp tip, and a rounded, broad wedge-shaped, or wedge-shaped base, with serrated or coarse serrated edges except at the base, dark green on the upper side and light yellow-green on the underside, glabrous on both sides; petioles are 0.8-1.5cm long, glabrous.
The flowers are usually solitary or in clusters of 2 to several in the leaf axils, blooming before the leaves; the flower stalks are 5-6mm long; the calyx is green, with lobes that are long oval or oval-shaped, measuring (5-) 6-7mm long, with blunt or sharp tips, and fringed edges, nearly equal in length to the corolla tube; the corolla is yellow, with lobes that are obovate or long oval, measuring 1.2-2cm long and 6-10mm wide; in flowers with a pistil length of 5-7mm, the stamens are 3-5mm long, and in flowers with a stamen length of 6-7mm, the pistil is about 3mm long.
The fruit is globose, oval, or long oval, measuring 1.2-2.5cm long and 0.6-1.2cm wide, with a beak-like tip, and the surface sparsely dotted with lenticels; the fruit stalk is 0.7-1.5cm long. The flowering period is from March to April, and the fruiting period is from July to September.
Distribution Areas
Distributed in Hebei, Shanxi, Jiangsu, Anhui, Shandong, Henan, Hubei, Sichuan, Shaanxi, Gansu, and other regions. Currently cultivated.
Originating Areas
Produced in Northeast, North China, and the Yangtze River basin to Yunnan.
Growth Environment
Grows in shrub thickets, under forests, or in grasslands, or in sparse forests in valleys and ravines, at altitudes of 250-2200m.
Growth Characteristics
Lian Qiao prefers sunlight, has a certain degree of shade tolerance; it thrives in warm, humid climates but is also cold-resistant; it tolerates drought and poor soil but is sensitive to waterlogging; it can grow in neutral, slightly acidic, or alkaline soils. It can grow in dry sunny slopes or in soil cracks, even on weathered parent material of purple sandstone. Lian Qiao has a developed root system, although the main root is not very prominent, its lateral roots are thick and long, with many fibrous roots that spread widely around the main root, greatly enhancing its absorption and soil-fixing capabilities; Lian Qiao is highly cold-resistant, able to withstand temperatures as low as -50℃ after cold acclimatization, making it an excellent choice for landscaping in northern regions; Lian Qiao has strong sprouting ability and can quickly expand its distribution area. Experimental data shows that Lian Qiao can grow normally at altitudes of 250m-2200m, with average temperatures of 12.1℃-17.3℃, absolute maximum temperatures of 36℃-39.4℃, and absolute minimum temperatures of -4.8℃-14.5℃, but it grows best in sunny, deep, fertile, and moist conditions.
Cultivation Techniques
Site Selection
The best seedling site should have deep, loose, fertile, and well-drained sandy soil; for cutting propagation, sandy soil (with good permeability and easy rooting) is preferred, and it should be close to a water source for irrigation. Choose hilly or gently sloping land with thick, fertile, loose, well-drained soil for mass planting, which is conducive to cross-pollination and improves the fruiting rate of Lian Qiao, generally planting in holes. It can also be sporadically planted in wasteland, along roadsides, field edges, corners of fields, and in gaps in courtyards.
Land Preparation
After selecting the land, deep plow before sowing or planting, applying sufficient base fertilizer, about 3000 kg per mu, mainly using manure, evenly spread on the ground. Deep plow to about 30 cm, level and rake finely to create beds, with a width of 1.2m, height of 15cm, and a furrow width of 30cm, with the bed surface shaped like a tile back. Planting holes should be prepared in advance. After applying sufficient base fertilizer, proceed with planting.
Seedling Cultivation
Lian Qiao can be propagated by seeds, cuttings, layering, or division, with seeds and cuttings being the main methods used in production.
Propagation Methods
Propagation can be done by seeds, layering, cuttings, and division.
Seed Propagation
1. Seed Collection: Choose superior mother plants. Select robust plants with short, thick branches, dense and full flowers and fruits, free from pests and diseases, and of pure variety as mother trees. Observe the flowering and fruiting periods to determine the appropriate seed collection time. Collect seeds promptly to avoid natural shedding after maturity. Generally, seeds are collected from mid to late September to early October. Collect mature fruits that are fully developed, plump, large, and heavy, then spread them thinly in a ventilated, cool place to dry before threshing. After selecting and removing impurities, store the seeds that are uniform, plump, and free from pests and diseases for future use.
2. Seed Storage: The storage conditions greatly affect the germination rate of Lian Qiao seeds. In 1977, a research unit in Beijing stored Lian Qiao seeds in a chicken heart bottle at room temperature, and by February 26, 1979, the germination rate was 43.7%. According to experiments from Hainan, Lian Qiao seeds stored in a desiccator performed better, with a germination rate of 85.3% after 11 months, while those stored in sand for 7 months had a germination rate of only 31.3%, and after 8 months, they completely lost their germination ability. Seeds stored in moist sand germinated during storage, resulting in lower germination rates after sowing.
3. Seed Germination: Lian Qiao seeds germinate easily, ideally at higher temperatures. Based on storage and germination conditions, combined with practical experience, the planting time can be arranged in spring or winter, with spring sowing in early to mid-April and winter sowing before the ground freezes.
4. Seedling Cultivation: Lian Qiao seeds have a hard seed coat, and without pre-treatment, it takes over a month for them to germinate in the field. Therefore, pre-germination treatment can be performed. In newly introduced areas, this method can be used. The specific method is to soak mature, plump seeds in water at around 30℃ for about 4 hours, then mix with three times the amount of moist sand in a wooden box or small jar, cover with plastic film, and place in a sheltered sunny spot, turning twice daily and keeping moist. After about 10 days, the seeds will germinate and can be sown. After sowing, seedlings can emerge in 8-9 days, which is about 20 days earlier than untreated seeds. If the soil is dry, water the beds before sowing, and when the water seeps down and the surface soil is slightly loose, sow the seeds. Spring sowing should be done around the “Qingming” festival, and winter sowing before the ground freezes (seeds do not need treatment and can germinate the following year). When sowing, open a 1cm deep trench on the prepared bed surface, mix seeds with fine sand, evenly sprinkle into the trench, cover with soil, and lightly press down. The soil cover should not be too thick, generally about 1cm, and then cover with straw to maintain moisture. After the seeds emerge, remove the straw. When the seedlings reach 10cm in height, thin them to a spacing of 10cm, and in early April of the following year, when the seedlings are about 30cm tall, they can be transplanted to the field.
5. Direct Field Sowing: Open holes with a spacing of 2m between rows and 1.5m between plants, applying compost and wood ash mixed with soil. Sowing can begin from late March to early April, or in deep autumn before the soil freezes. Sow about 10 seeds per hole, cover with soil, and lightly press down. It is important to sow when the soil moisture is good.
Layering Propagation
In spring, bend down the branches of the plant and bury them in the soil, cutting them from the mother plant in the following spring for planting. Generally, cuttings are the main method, and seedlings should be planted in sunny, well-drained, fertile soil. If the site is not suitable or the soil is poor, growth will be slow and yield low. After flowering each year, prune away dead branches, weak branches, and overly dense or old branches.
Cutting Propagation
Cuttings can be taken after leaf fall in autumn or before bud break in spring, but spring is preferred. Select healthy, vigorous young branches from 1-2 years old, cut into 20-30cm long cuttings, ensuring each cutting has 2-3 nodes. The lower end should be cut flat near the node. To improve the survival rate of cuttings, bundle 30-50 cuttings together and soak the base (1-2cm) in a solution of 500ppm rooting powder or 500-1000ppm indolebutyric acid for 10 seconds, then dry before planting.
In the south, cuttings are often taken in early spring, while in the north, they are more commonly taken in summer. Before planting cuttings, prepare the seedbed by leveling and making high beds, 1.5m wide, with a planting distance of 20×10cm, inserting the cuttings at an angle into the bed, burying them 18-20cm deep, leaving the top node above ground, then covering and compacting the soil. During dry weather, water regularly to keep the soil moist, but not too wet, to prevent the buried part of the cuttings from rotting. With proper management, the survival rate of cuttings can reach 90%. With good management, seedlings can reach over 50cm in height by autumn, and can be dug and planted in the following spring.
Division Propagation
After the “Frost Descent” period or before bud break in spring, dig out young shoots that have grown around trees older than three years, with soil, for transplanting, or dig out the entire tree for division. Generally, one plant can be divided into 3-5 plants. The key to this method is to ensure that each divided plant has some fibrous roots, which increases the survival rate and leads to quicker results.
Transplanting
Before planting, apply fertilizer in each hole, using well-rotted manure or mixed fertilizers along with a suitable amount of compound fertilizer (see site selection and land preparation). When planting, ensure the root system of the seedlings is spread out, layered, and compacted, with the soil cover above the planting point to prevent sinking after rain, which would hinder survival and growth. To overcome the self-incompatibility of Lian Qiao, it is necessary to plant both long-styled and short-styled plants in a reasonable configuration.
Reports indicate that the fruiting rate of these two types of flowers varies greatly when grown in different environments. Under intercropping conditions, the fruiting rate is 63.9%, while in natural conditions, the fruiting rate is only 47%. Therefore, changing from row planting to interspersed planting of the two types of flowers can increase the fruiting rate, as interspersed planting allows long-styled and short-styled plants to be surrounded by each other, reducing the impact of wind direction and slope on pollination, significantly improving the pollination rate. In interspersed planting of Lian Qiao, the arrangement of long-styled and short-styled plants should be staggered, ensuring that adjacent rows of long-styled plants and short-styled plants are arranged consistently.
Except during the flowering period, it is difficult to distinguish between long-styled and short-styled plants, especially in seedlings. To meet production needs, during flowering, both types can be propagated using cuttings, layering, or division, with cuttings being the main method due to the wide availability of propagation materials, high utilization rate, and large propagation coefficient, meeting the afforestation needs. This can solve the problem of insufficient seedlings for mixed planting of the two different flower types.
Field Management
Weeding and Tilling
During the seedling stage, regularly loosen the soil and remove weeds. After planting, till and weed around the Lian Qiao plants once every winter, and remove or hand-pull surrounding weeds.
Fertilization
During the seedling stage, apply light fertilizers frequently, and trenches can be opened between rows. After planting, every winter, apply well-rotted manure, cake fertilizer, or mixed fertilizers while loosening the soil and weeding, using 2 kg per young tree and 10 kg per fruiting tree, applying it in holes or trenches around the Lian Qiao plants, covering with soil to promote healthy growth and increase flowering and fruiting. In suitable areas, an additional fertilization can be done before flowering in spring.
After pruning Lian Qiao trees, apply 2 kg of wood ash, 200g of superphosphate, 250g of cake fertilizer, and 100g of urea per tree. Open a circular trench under the crown for application, covering with soil to retain moisture. In the early stages, Lian Qiao can be intercropped with low-stature crops.
Irrigation and Drainage
Ensure the soil remains moist, irrigating promptly during dry periods, and opening ditches for drainage during rainy seasons to prevent root rot from waterlogging.
Shaping and Pruning
After planting, when the Lian Qiao seedlings reach about 1 meter in height, prune the top at 70-80cm above the ground in winter after leaf fall. In summer, pinch the tips to encourage branching. Select 3-4 well-developed lateral branches in different directions to cultivate as main branches.
Subsequently, select 3-4 strong branches on the main branches to cultivate as secondary main branches, allowing lateral branches to grow. Through several years of shaping and pruning, a low-stem, broad-crowned, airy, and light-penetrating tree shape can be formed, promoting early fruiting.
Every winter, prune away dead branches, crossing branches, overlapping branches, weak branches, and excessively long or pest-infested branches. During the growing season, appropriate thinning and shortening should also be done. For branches that have been fruiting for many years and are starting to age, short pruning or heavy pruning (removing 2/3 of the branch) can stimulate the growth of strong branches below the cut, restoring tree vigor and increasing fruiting rates.
Species Classification
Species Distinction
The main differences between Ying Chun and Lian Qiao:
(1) Ying Chun belongs to the Oleaceae family, Jasmine genus, with a bushy appearance, relatively short, and branches arching and easily drooping. Lian Qiao belongs to the Oleaceae family, Forsythia genus, appearing as a shrub or small tree, relatively tall, with branches that do not easily droop.
(2) The young branches of Ying Chun are green, while those of Lian Qiao are darker, generally light brown.
(3) The branches of Ying Chun are solid, with plate-like pith; Lian Qiao branches are hollow and lack pith.
(4) Ying Chun has trifoliate leaves, while Lian Qiao has simple or opposite trifoliate leaves.
(5) Ying Chun leaves grow symmetrically in a cross shape, are smaller, oval-shaped, entire, and have a pointed tip. Lian Qiao leaves are oval, broad oval, or oval-shaped, larger, with neat coarse serrations except at the base.
(6) Ying Chun has six petals, while Lian Qiao has only four petals.
(7) Ying Chun flowers rarely set fruit, while Lian Qiao flowers do.
Subspecies Variants
Hairy Lian Qiao (variant) Forsythia suspensa f. pubescens Rehd.: This variant differs from the original in that its young branches, petioles, and leaf surfaces are covered with short soft hairs, while the underside of the leaves has soft hairs or short soft hairs, especially dense on the leaf veins. Flowering period is in April.
Main Values
Economic Value
Lian Qiao is a wild oil plant, with Lian Qiao seeds containing an oil content of 25%-33%. The oil from the seeds contains gum, has good volatility, and is a good raw material for the insulation paint industry and cosmetics, with great development potential. The oil can be used to make soap and cosmetics, as well as insulation paint and lubricants, and is rich in oleic acid and linoleic acid, which are easily absorbed and digested by the human body, with a fragrant taste, making it a good edible oil after refining.
Extracts from Lian Qiao can be used as natural preservatives for food preservation, especially suitable for preserving fresh fish products with high moisture content. Lian Qiao extracts can effectively inhibit the growth of common spoilage bacteria in the environment, extending the shelf life of food, making it a promising, cost-effective, and safe new type of food preservative.
Soil and Water Conservation
Lian Qiao has a developed root system, with its main roots, lateral roots, and fibrous roots densely forming a network in the soil, with strong absorption and water retention capabilities; the lateral roots are thick and long, and the fibrous roots are numerous and dense, which can anchor and stabilize the soil, preventing soil erosion.
Lian Qiao has strong sprouting ability, and its crown cover increases rapidly, effectively preventing raindrop impact on the ground, reducing erosion, making it an excellent ecological tree species recommended for returning farmland to forest and as a key economic crop for controlling soil erosion on the Loess Plateau.
Aesthetic Value
Lian Qiao has a beautiful tree form and vigorous growth. It flowers before the leaves in early spring, with a long flowering period and abundant flowers, creating a golden spectacle when in full bloom, exuding a delightful fragrance, making it an excellent ornamental shrub for early spring, suitable for hedges, flower beds, and urban greening applications, and is a valuable tree species for agritourism and modern landscaping.
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