Herbal Prescription Salvages Dying Old Trees

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, December 14, 2001

Herbal Prescription Salvages Dying Old Trees

Chinese prescriptions of herbal medicine have successfully rejuvenated nearly 200 worm-eaten and dying old trees.

A senior horticulturist with Beijing Gardening Bureau recently revived a 600-year-old "sick" white pine by irrigating it with a diluted wild herbal mixture. Various means of resuscitation were tried but nothing worked until the herbal mixture was applied.

Herbal mixture revived 600-year-old "sick" tree

Chinese prescriptions of herbal medicine have successfully rejuvenated nearly 200 worm-eaten and dying old trees.

The special treatment was developed by Li Jinling, a senior horticulturist with Beijing Gardening Bureau. He recently revived a 600-year-old "sick" white pine by irrigating it with a diluted wild herbal mixture. Now the tree looks strong -- even in the bitter winter wind blowing through the Chinese capital.

Other means invalid

The many-branched tree, located on the campus of the Beijing Institute of Technology, nearly died from infestation of pests three years ago, and started to rot at its roots. Various means of resuscitation were tried but nothing worked until the herbal mixture was applied.

Reason

"Like an elderly patient, the tree is too old to withstand strong chemicals because they would result in fast cell division, which accelerates the consumption of the tree's own nutrients," Li said. "But the herbal mixture would help increase the absorbed nutrients by improving the plant's metabolism and photosynthesis."

Significance of the old tree

"If the tree died, the history of Haidian District would seem to be incomplete," said Zhang Pingrang, a teacher with Beijing Institute of Technology, who has lived on the campus for over 20 years.

The district crowded with universities built in the past 50 years is nurturing China's "Silicon Valley" -- Zhongguancun. Among the increasing number of modern buildings, only the old tree stands as proof of the area's long history, Zhang said.

Old tree protection

Beijing

Beijing has the most old trees of any city in China, with 10,000 trees over 100 years old still thriving.

With the rapid development of China's urban construction, the growing environment of the old trees is getting worse.

Zhou Lijun, a deputy director of the National Greening Commission (NGS) in charge of the ancient tree preservation, said saving these trees benefits China's history and culture as well as the ecological environment.

Other provinces and regions

Many provinces and regions have promulgated regulations on old tree protection, and horticulturists all over the country are making identity plates to be attached to each of the trees.

Information archived on database

Meanwhile, pertinent information on the trees is being archived on a database.

A gingko tree in Taihua Temple in Xishan Hill of Kunming, southwest of China's Yunnan Province, is said to have been planted by Zhu Yun, an emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

More such legends are being collected and recorded on the old tree databases.

NGS statistics show there are about 300,000 hundred-year-old trees scattered throughout cities in China.

Chinese Herbal Medicine Theory

The vast majority of herbal treatments use formulas containing four or more herbs. Only a few herbs are used by themselves alone. There are several reasons for this:

To strengthen the effect of the formula.

To affect related secondary aspects of the illness.

To prevent the formula from causing side effects or illness by balancing it's effects.

One commonly used format or template for designing herbal formulas is based on the monarchical form of government. At the top is the king or emperor. Next are the ministers or deputies. Last are the assistants or adjutants. There is one special role assistant - that of guide or messenger herb. A memory trick to remember this template is to consider it as radio station KMAG.

Any herb can fill any of these roles. Which role depends on which herbal formula the herb is used in. They roles work together in these ways:

King Herb - The herb which is directed to and has the strongest effect on the most important imbalance/pathology

Minister Herb - This herb is directed to the main imbalance/pathology and to the secondary imbalance/pathology

Assistant Herb - there are three types:

1.Helpful Assistant - strengthens the effect of the King

2.Corrective Assistant - reduces or eliminates the harsh or toxic effects of the King and/or Minister herbs

3.Opposing Assistant - decreases the effect of the King. This role is mostly used for complex combinations of imbalances/pathologies.

Guide - Envoy - Messenger Herb -focuses actions of the other herbs on a particular organ, channel or region of the body.

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