Commercial Gastrodia Elata

Commercial Gastrodia Elata

Commercial Gastrodia Elata is a protected geographical indication product.

　　 Gastrodia elata, also known as Chi Jian, is a plant of the Gastrodia genus in the Orchidaceae family. Regarding the naming of Gastrodia elata, the famous Ming Dynasty pharmacologist Li Shizhen recorded in his work "Compendium of Materia Medica": “Chi Jian is named for its shape; Du Yao and Ding Feng are named for their unique properties; Li Mu and He Li are named for their distinct characteristics; Shen Cao and Gui Du You are named for their efficacy.”

　　 Shangcheng is located in the heart of the Dabie Mountains, characterized by high mountains and dense forests, offering superior geographical and climatic conditions along with abundant forest resources. These factors provide highly favorable conditions for the growth of Armillaria mellea. The "Shangcheng County Annals" from the 16th year of the Shunzhi reign in the Qing Dynasty documented the history of Gastrodia elata use in Shangcheng. Wild Gastrodia elata in Shangcheng is mostly found on sunny slopes at high altitudes and shaded slopes in low-altitude mountainous areas, and is occasionally discovered in cool, moist bamboo forests.

　　 Since 1970, Shangcheng has been exploring artificial cultivation techniques for Gastrodia elata, achieving success not long after. By 1981, the area under artificial cultivation had reached 15,000 square meters (with five 2-foot-long fungal logs placed per square meter). Typically, each square meter yields 2.5–5 kilograms of fresh Gastrodia elata, with some areas producing over 10 kilograms. As cultivation experience has continued to accumulate, the county's overall cultivation area has expanded significantly, and yield per unit area has also markedly improved, with an annual production of over 100,000 kilograms of Gastrodia elata medicinal material.

　　 Wild Commercial Gastrodia Elata is mainly produced in the deep mountainous areas near the main peak of the Dabie Mountains, Mount Jingangtai. Thanks to Shangcheng County’s excellent ecological environment, abundant natural resources, and unique climate, the cultivated environment for Commercial Gastrodia Elata closely resembles that of wild growth. As a result, the cultivated variety of Commercial Gastrodia Elata retains the distinctive and authentic qualities of the wild variety. It is precisely because of this advantage that Commercial Gastrodia Elata has become a highly sought-after product in China’s traditional Chinese medicine market, consistently in short supply, and favored by several well-known domestic TCM processing enterprises. Currently, these companies have expressed interest in investing in Shangcheng to jointly develop Commercial Gastrodia Elata. A more brilliant future awaits Commercial Gastrodia Elata.