Typical Representative: Rice

Hunan is a major rice-producing province in China, where hybrid rice technology spread to the world. Rice is not only the staple food for Hunan people, but also the foundation of local food culture such as rice noodles, rice wine and glutinous rice cakes. Yuan Longping conducted research on hybrid rice in Hunan, making the province the "hometown of hybrid rice".

1. Distribution

Rice is cultivated across the whole province. Core production areas are concentrated in the Dongting Lake region (Changde, Yiyang, Yueyang) and central-southern Hunan (Changsha, Hengyang, Yongzhou, Chenzhou). The Dongting Lake area serves as an important national commercial grain base. The hilly and mountainous areas of southern Hunan mainly grow middle-season rice and single-cropping late rice.

2. Growing Environment

Rice requires large amounts of water. The alluvial paddy soil in the Dongting Plain features deep soil layers with strong water and nutrient retention capacity. Varieties for hilly regions such as Heyōu No.1 are suitable for elevations of 300–500 metres, with a whole growth period of 142.3 days.

Typical Representative: Junshan Yinzhen (Tea)

Junshan Yinzhen is a famous Chinese yellow tea. It was listed as a tribute tea as early as the Tang Dynasty. Classified as yellow tea, it features sturdy and uniformly-sized buds with golden, lustrous surfaces covered in fine white hairs, earning the elegant nickname "Gold Inlaid with Jade". When brewed, the tea buds rise and fall three times, known as the "three rises and three falls". The tea infusion is apricot-yellow and clear. Historically, it was named "Yellow Feathers" (Later Tang of the Five Dynasties), "White Crane Tea" (Song Dynasty), and "Junshan White Hairs" (Qing Dynasty). It was officially named "Junshan Yinzhen" in 1957.

1. Distribution (Junshan Yinzhen)

The core producing area covers Junshan Island and Xushi Town in Junshan District, Yueyang City. Junshan Tea Farm is its sole original production site.

2. Growing Environment

Junshan Island, where Junshan Yinzhen grows, is surrounded by water. Shrouded in mist for nearly 300 days a year, the island receives continuous moisture from the lake. The climate is mild and humid all year round with no severe cold in winter and a long frost-free period. The island is mostly covered by sandy soil, which is deep and fertile. The large diurnal temperature difference creates a special microclimate favourable for tea growth.

Typical Representative: Ramie

Yuanjiang ramie is a specialty of Yuanjiang City, Yiyang, Hunan. Known as the "Hometown of Ramie", Yuanjiang is China's largest production base for high-quality ramie, accounting for one quarter of the nation's total ramie output.

1. Products

Raw ramie, degummed ramie, ramie yarn, and grass cloth (Liuyang grass cloth is a renowned traditional product).

2. Distribution

Yuanjiang City serves as the core producing region. At its historical peak, the planting area exceeded 250,000 mu. The five major ramie planting bases are located in Sihushan, Nanda and other towns. Other major ramie-producing counties in the Dongting Lake area include Nanxian, Hanshou, Huarong and Taoyuan.

3. Growing Environment

Ramie is a thermophilic crop. The optimal temperature for the growth of aboveground stems ranges from 15–32°C, and the optimum temperature for seed germination is 25–30°C. Seedlings will suffer cold damage if the temperature drops below 3°C in early spring. It thrives best in sandy loam, clay loam and humus loam, with soil moisture content of 20%–24%. Research from Hunan Agricultural University shows that soils developed on parent material of Paleozoic sedimentary rocks at the foot of hilly slopes and valleys produce ramie with high yield and fine quality. Yuanjiang in the Dongting Lake Plain has an annual average temperature of 16.9°C. The favourable combination of light, heat and water from April to September is highly conducive to ramie growth and development.

Typical Representative: Hunan Lotus (Xianglian)

Xianglian is Hunan's most representative aquatic vegetable, with a cultivation history of more than 3,000 years.

1. Products

Lotus seeds (dried / fresh), lotus root starch.

2. Distribution

The core producing area is Xiangtan County. Huashi Town boasts over 20,000 mu of Xianglian plantation. It is the nation's largest Xianglian production base and trade distribution centre for lotus seeds, with an annual output value exceeding 3 billion yuan. Relying on the alluvial plain of the Lianshui River, Huashi Town, Paitou Township and Jinshi Township form a natural wetland system, constituting the core planting belt of Xianglian.

3. Growing Environment

The Xianglian producing area has a humid subtropical monsoon climate. The annual average temperature is 17.2°C, the frost-free period exceeds 280 days, and annual precipitation is approximately 1350 mm. The soil is mainly alluvial paddy soil with organic matter content above 2.8% and a pH value of 6.0–6.8, which is highly suitable for the root development of lotus.

Typical Representative: Camphor Tree (City Tree of Changsha)

The camphor tree is the city tree of Changsha. Evergreen all year round with a broad crown, it is Hunan's most representative urban greening tree species.

1. Products

Street trees, landscape trees, ancient and famous trees. Camphor wood can be used for furniture and carving. Camphor and camphor oil are applied in medicine and perfume.

2. Distribution

Camphor trees are widely distributed across the province. They dominate street plantings in urban Changsha, and numerous ancient camphor trees can be found throughout Hunan.

3. Growing Environment

Camphor trees prefer warm and humid climates and have poor cold tolerance. They thrive in regions with an annual average temperature of 16–18°C and annual precipitation above 1000 mm. They are not demanding on soil conditions but grow best in fertile, deep, well-drained slightly acidic soils. The climate across Hunan is suitable for camphor tree growth.

Typical Representative: Red Maple and Azalea

The red maples and azaleas on Yuelu Mountain are Changsha's most famous natural landscapes in spring and autumn.

1. Cultural Significance

Together with Yuelu Academy and Aiwan Pavilion, they form the cultural imagery depicted in the poem "Frosted leaves outshine the flowers of early spring". Azalea is also the city flower of Changsha.

2. Distribution

Yuelu Mountain serves as the core viewing area. The trees mainly consist of Japanese maple (Acer palmatum), whose leaves turn red in autumn. They are most densely distributed around Aiwan Pavilion. Hunan Botanical Garden also has large patches of these trees.

3. Growing Environment

They adapt to hilly areas at elevations of 300–1000 metres. They prefer sunlight yet tolerate partial shade, and thrive in moist, well-drained slightly acidic soil. Yuelu Mountain stands at approximately 300 metres above sea level. The large diurnal temperature difference in autumn and winter facilitates the accumulation of anthocyanin in leaves, producing bright red foliage.