Protecting Tianshan Snow Lotus: Artificial Cultivation of Snow Lotus

Artificial cultivation of snow lotus

The medicinal value of artificially cultivated snow lotus is basically the same as that of wild snow lotus, but the medicinal effects are not almost the same.

In order to save this rare and famous Chinese medicinal material, in 2001 a businessman established a good environment for artificially growing snow lotus in a valley deep in the Tianshan Mountains, so that we can eat such a popular tonic. Although it is only a dried product of snow lotus, it still retains the fragrance and certain functions of snow lotus. It needs to be soaked for a period of time when cooking, and then added to the dish with the flowers and water to make the snow lotus flavor come out.

Fresh wild snow lotus has bright white leaves with a faint luster because it grows in cold high mountains for a long time. Artificially cultivated snow lotus generally only needs 2-3 years of cultivation before it can be used as medicine, and its leaves are small and dull.

Snow lotus precautions

If it is used as medicine, it is important to distinguish whether it is wild or artificially cultivated to prevent the medicinal effect from not achieving the expected effect. The difference between wild and cultivated snow lotus lies in the color of the flowers and leaves.

The best way to store fresh snow lotus is to refrigerate it and place it in a box with ice water. Avoid excessive exposure to sunlight.

In order to protect the Tianshan Snow Lotus, the Snow Lotus Conservation Branch of the Xinjiang Wildlife Conservation Association launched a public welfare publicity campaign to protect the snow lotus in the Tianshan pastoral areas and among tourists to stop its abuse. The Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has also used cloning tissue culture technology to artificially cultivate snow lotus in Tianchi Lake of Tianshan Mountains since 2004. Some of the snow lotus has already bloomed, which is expected to open up a new channel to replace wild snow lotus to meet the needs of the pharmaceutical market.