The Cork Tree

original: 蘖木 (nièmù); most commonly referring to the Amur Cork Tree (Phellodendron amurense), though the term niè specifically denotes new shoots or "stump-sprouts" growing from a felled tree.

Related Terms:

• Cork Tree/Stump-sprout original: 蘖 (niè)
• Tree/Wood original: 木 (mù)
• Plants and Trees original: 卉木 (huìmù)
• Tall Arbor Tree original: 喬木 (qiáomù)

The following woodcut depicts two gnarled, leafy trees growing from a rocky outcrop. The style is characteristic of traditional Chinese botanical or encyclopedic works, showing stylistic conventions for representing bark texture and leaf clusters.

This page serves as a heading and visual introduction for the Cork Tree. In classical Chinese herbals, the inner bark of this tree—known as Huang Bo—was stripped and used to create a yellow dye and a potent medicine for clearing "heat" and "dampness" from the body.