Thorn bud, that is, thorn old bud, also known as thorn old crow and Aralia elata, is not the same species as Toona sinensis bud. Toona sinensis is mainly distributed in central and southern China, such as Inner Mongolia, Guangxi, Yunnan, etc. Toona sinensis buds are ovate-lanceolate or oval, pink in color and have a special taste. The thorn buds are mainly distributed in northern China, such as Hebei, Liaoning, Jilin and other places. The buds are finger-shaped, the young leaves are curved, and the fruits are initially turquoise and mature into black.

Characteristics of thorn buds

Thorn buds like to grow in valleys, sunny slopes, miscellaneous forests with fertile, moist or semi-shady soil, broad-leaved forests, mixed forests and secondary forests, or in forest margins, shrubs, ditches and other places. The tender buds of thorn buds are edible parts, and there are many ways to eat them. Can be eaten raw, fried, sauced, made into soup, stuffed, or processed into small pickles with different flavors. It is delicious and sweet, tender and mellow, with rich game. It is a famous first-class wild vegetable and is known as the "king of wild vegetables".