Shaozi, a large tropical fruit tree belonging to the Saponiaceae family, is also known as hairy lychee, Shaozi, and red hairy fruit. It is related to lychee and longan. In Malay, it is called 'rambutan', meaning 'something furry'. The crown of the red peony tree is loose, and the main trunk is curved. The leaves are thin and leathery, elliptical or obovate, with smooth surfaces on both sides. The inflorescence is often multi branched and covered with rust colored short hairs. No petals. The fruit is broad and oval shaped, red or yellow. The surface of the fruit is densely covered with red or yellow soft thorns. The flesh is crystal clear, with a sweet and sour taste. The flesh is tightly adhered to the core (seed), making it difficult to separate. The size of the fruit pit is slightly larger than that of peanuts, and it is light gray. In the Baoting area, the flowering period of red peony is from February to April, and the fruiting period is from June to September. Red Maodan is a well-known tropical fruit that is highly favored by the market. The suitable planting area for red peony in China is relatively small. Baoting and Sanya in Hainan are advantageous areas for the large-scale development and cultivation of red peony. Baoting County, Hainan has been hailed as the hometown of Chinese village red hair.
Our Red Mulberry Germplasm Resource Nursery was founded in 1960 and was first introduced from Malaysia. Currently, the resource nursery covers an area of 44.4 acres and is divided into three zones, one germplasm resource collection and protection zone, and two variety display zones. The Germplasm Resources Collection and Protection Zone covers an area of 22 acres and preserves 440 germplasm resources of different traits of Red Hair Dan, including 6 male trees and 434 female trees that can be used for hybrid breeding. In 2022, the nursery was approved as a provincial-level germplasm resource nursery for red peony in Hainan Province. Relying on the advantages of the Red Plum Germplasm Resource Nursery, we have successively cultivated 12 excellent varieties of Red Plum in the Baoyan series.
Through technological achievements such as the breeding of excellent varieties of red hair Dan, supporting high-yield cultivation techniques, and high-quality seedling production techniques, the healthy development of the red hair Dan industry in Baoting County has been promoted. As of 2022, the planting area of red hair Dan in Baoting County has reached nearly 30000 mu, with a direct economic output value of over 400 million yuan. The "Baoting Red Hair Pill" has become a beautiful business card for Baoting's external promotion, and a characteristic fruit industry that promotes rural tourism in Baoting and achieves the integration of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries.
In production, Hongmao Dan is propagated through grafting seedlings and aerial layering seedlings, and the seed seedlings are only used as grafting rootstocks. The seed seedlings are about 2 years later than the grafting seedlings before they can bear fruit. The planting area of Rhododendron in China is very small, with only Baoting and Sanya regions in Hainan being the main planting areas in China. It likes to grow in mountainous environments with high temperature, high humidity, no wind damage, and low altitude.
Why is Red Hair Pill covered with thorns on its surface? This is because of the survival of the fittest phenomenon formed in the process of plant evolution to protect the inner core (seed). The hairy soft spines make it look more aggressive, and also make the outside world mistake its pulp as not delicious. The same is true for pomegranate and jackfruit.
