North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[<clifford.england@us.army.mil>]

    I apoligize for posting for a new list but I am looking for any one growing the plant named Chinese Bayberry.    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrica_rubra  and  http://www.rirdc.gov.au/reports/NPP/05-081.pdf 

These are link to some information on the Myrica Rubra.  

The red bayberry (Myrica rubra Sieb. and Zucc.) plant is native to China and is indigenous to warm

and humid environments (Li, 2001). Red bayberry is widely known as Yang mei in China. It is also

known, incorrectly, as arbutus; this being the genus name of the ornamental Irish strawberry tree

Arbutus Unedo, L. Red bayberry is grown mainly in hills or uplands near rivers, lakes or the sea in

south-east China (Fig. 1A).

Outside China, red bayberry is cultivated in amenity horticulture in Japan, where it is the

10th most important street tree in Tokyo (Araki 2003). However, it is seldom grown commercially in

other countries. Nonetheless, reports of red bayberry plants growing in non-Asian countries include

the UK (Anon 2002). There are prospects for introduction of this crop into Australian horticulture,

particularly given the broad range of environments; including the climatic gradation down the

eastern seaboard. Red bayberry could be produced for local markets (including the Chinese sector)

and also for export. Cropping would be counter-season to China and in this sense would offer

opportunities for collaboration. The fruit is extremely popular in China. As an indicator of its value,

a typhoon that hit east China?s Zhejiang Province in July 2001 ruined around 100,000 tons of red

bayberries (Anon 2003a). The cost of the damage was estimated to be US$120 million.

Is any one growing these plants and are they hardy to what Temps and Zone in the US.   There is 2  

SFC Clifford England
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