Chinese bayberry

Description

It is a small to medium-sized evergreen tree growing up to 10-20 m (33-66 ft) high, with smooth gray bark and a uniform spherical to hemispherical crown. It is dioecious, with separate male and female plants. It tolerates poor acidic soils. The root system is 5-60 cm (2.0-23.6 in) deep, with no obvious taproot. The fruit is spherical, 1.5-2.5 cm (0.59-0.98 in) in diameter, with a knobby surface. The surface color is typically a deep, brilliant red, but may vary from white to purple. The flesh color is similar to surface color, or somewhat lighter. The flesh is sweet and very tart. At the center is a single seed, with a diameter about half that of the whole fruit.