Neolitsea sericea is an East Asian evergreen in the laurel family that blooms in fall and often carries last year's red berries at the same time. Its new spring leaves droop and are covered in golden-brown silky hair, and mature leaves are chalky white underneath. It doesn't grow wild in the United States.
Appearance
- Growth form
- An evergreen tree 16–50 ft (5–15 m) tall.
- Leaves
- Leaves are 3–7 in (8–18 cm) long, crowded near branch tips, with three strong veins from the base. They are glossy dark green on top and waxy white below.
- Flowers
- Male and female flowers grow on separate trees. Small pale yellow flowers cluster where the leaves meet the stem in fall.
- Fruit
- Bright red, roughly round berries about 1/2 in (12–15 mm) long ripen about a year after flowering.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Warm-temperate forests
- Forest edges and slopes
- Range
- Native to Japan, the Ryukyu Islands, southern Korea, Taiwan, and southeastern China. It is not native to North America.
Name and classification
- About the name
- A golden-haired form, var. aurata, is sometimes treated as its own species, Neolitsea aurata.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction
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