[Smart Farmers] Why did this plant make ancient poets feel mixed emotions? Uncover the secrets behind the "darling of poetry"

In ancient poetry, we often see the poets' deep feelings for plants. They use objects to express their aspirations and feelings, and their descriptions of plants are full of deep love. Albizia Julibrissin is one of them. With its unique appearance and rich cultural connotations, it has become a "darling" in ancient poetry.

Albizia Julibrissin, also known as "horse tassel flower" and "velvet flower tree", is a deciduous tree with an expanding crown, angular twigs, and fine hairs on young branches, leaves, and inflorescences. Its inflorescence is composed of many small flowers, which are light and soft, and look like the red tassels on a horse bell when turned upside down. The fruit is ribbon-shaped, with soft hairs on the surface of young fruits and no soft hairs on mature ones. The flowering period is from June to July, and the fruiting period is from August to October.

Albizia Julibrissin is native to Asia and Africa. It is planted in provinces and regions from Northeast China to South China and Southwest China. It often grows on hillsides or is cultivated artificially. It is distributed in Africa, Central Asia, East Asia, and North America. Albizia Julibrissin grows fast, likes light, has poor cold tolerance, tolerates drought and barrenness, has low soil requirements, and is not tolerant to waterlogging.

In ancient times, people preferred to bring it to the table and pharmacy. They would first blanch the young leaves of the tree or cook them directly into soup to eat as vegetables, while the old leaves would be crushed and used to clean clothes. The flowers would be used to make porridge and boiled with brown sugar to fully exert the effect of the flowers.

Albizia Julibrissin not only has ornamental value, but also has certain medicinal value. Both the bark and the flowers can be used as medicine. In modern times, Albizia Julibrissin is widely regarded as an ornamental plant and is often planted in gardens, bringing people a pleasant feeling with its beautiful appearance and unique fragrance.

In addition, the tree has rich cultural connotations. People regard it as an auspicious tree and plant it in their courtyards to pray for a happy life and a harmonious family.

However, the Albizia Julibrissin is not all good, and it can also bring mixed feelings to ancient poets. In some places in ancient times, people even believed that the Albizia Julibrissin was an ominous thing that would bring disaster. This may be because the color of the Albizia Julibrissin changes under different light, sometimes turning into a deep red, which is reminiscent of blood and death.

Produced by: Science Popularization China, Smart Farmers, Xinglong Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, National Tropical Plant Germplasm Resource Bank, Guangming.com

Scientific review: Institute of Spice and Beverages, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences

Producer: Qin Xiaowei, Zhan Zhao

Co-ordinator: Xie Xiang, Wu Yuetong, Zhao Huiyang

Planning: Wei Lai

Guest: Huang Jingping

Filming and Production: Lai Yuhao

Copy editor: Wu Yuetong Hou Siyu (internship)