The Zhi She Liu (Water Willow) of Sun Moon Lake hasn’t vanished—there’s a secret grove in the upstream hinterland

Sturdy and bare-trunked. (Photo by Shen Huisheng)

Growing naturally. (Photo by Shen Huisheng)

There’s quite a number of them. (Photo by Shen Huisheng)

Female trees’ ripe fruits burst open, releasing cottony seeds. (Photo by Shen Huisheng)

The Zhi She Liu is dioecious. On the 9th, the Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area Administration planted 80 eight-year-old trees along the bike path between Shuishe Pier and Jiulongkou, all of them male. The reason? Female trees, when their fruits mature, explode with cottony fluff that could affect the environment around the pier. In the future, one or two female trees may be added, likely in the more secluded Green Jade Trail.

The Zhi She Liu had disappeared from the shores of Sun Moon Lake for decades—but did they really vanish? Not necessarily. At least a dozen old trees still thrive near the irrigation gate in the Toutou Basin. Expert Huang Chaoqing even speculates that these might be the very same original population discovered and recorded a century ago.

But the puzzling part is, all these surviving old trees are male—no females. Relying solely on cuttings for propagation carries the risk of genetic decline, which is hardly a sustainable solution.

As public awareness of this endemic Taiwanese plant grows, in 2012 a large pure stand of over 200 Zhi She Liu trees was suddenly discovered in Zhongming Village, Yuchi Township—just about 1 km from the lakeshore at a water pit. This hidden grove includes both male and female trees, with flowers, fruits, cottony seeds, and even seedlings.

Sadly, over 70 of these trees were girdled—possibly because the landowner was eager to develop and sell the plot. While Zhi She Liu has not disappeared around Sun Moon Lake and includes both sexes with healthy reproduction, it definitely needs more attention and care.

In fact, years ago, Yang Guozhen, chairman of the Taiwan Ecology Society, made a major discovery in the mountainous area of Ren’ai Township, about 16 km from Sun Moon Lake. There, he found a stand of Zhi She Liu growing in a near-pristine state, including several ancient “grandparent” trees. Located within a restricted area of a certain institution, the site sees little disturbance and could serve as a “conservation forest” for the species.