Chinese Toon Tree | Fragrant Edible Spring Foliage

Red Chinese Toon

3 Ft

$79.00

1/4

Red Chinese Toon

Toona sinensis

Prized Savory Spring Shoot Harvest • Unique Onion-Garlic-Pine Flavor • Cold-Hardy & Fast-Growing

$79.00

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Bay Area–Based Nursery

We specialize in plants grown and delivered in their original pots and soil.
Because of their size and weight, our plants are not suitable for long-distance shipping and are delivered locally to ensure health and quality.

While delivery is limited to our local service area, we’re happy to support garden design and plant selection remotely.

For local plant professionals, we’re always glad to connect and explore ways to support your customers.

Chinese Toon is a unique and prized culinary tree, celebrated not for its fruit, but for its intensely aromatic and flavorful coppery-red new growth in spring. These tender shoots and young leaves, with their unforgettable savory, onion-garlic, and pine-like taste, are a seasonal delicacy in East Asian cuisine. Fast-growing, cold-hardy, and easily managed, it's more like a perennial vegetable crop than a typical fruit tree, offering a gourmet harvest that marks the arrival of spring.

Cultivated exclusively for its edible, aromatic spring shoots and young leaves, which are a prized seasonal vegetable.
New foliage emerges a stunning vibrant bronze-red before maturing to green.
Flavor is strong, savory, and complex, reminiscent of leeks, garlic, pine, and herbs—unlike any other leafy green.
A fast-growing, deciduous tree that is remarkably cold-hardy (to USDA Zone 5 or 6).
Can be maintained as a large shrub or small tree through annual coppicing (cutting back) to encourage a continuous supply of tender shoots.
Does produce flowers and seeds, but they are not the primary reason for cultivation.

Culinary Profile:

Flavor: Pungent, savory, and aromatic with dominant notes of onion, garlic, and pine nuts.
Texture: Young shoots are tender and crisp.
Best Uses: A celebrated ingredient in stir-fries (especially with eggs), dumplings, and salads. Often lightly blanched or quickly cooked to mellow its strong flavor. Can be pickled.

Knowing how we measure the size?

When browsing our plants, you may notice size terms such as Gallon, Multi, or Stand. These describe how a plant is grown, containerized, or structured at the time of sale — not just its height. Understanding these terms will help you choose the right plant for your space and expectations.

🌱 Gallon Size (Container Size)

Gallon refers to the size of the nursery container the plant is currently growing in (e.g. 1 Gallon, 5 Gallon, 15 Gallon).

A larger gallon size generally means:
- A more established root system
- A sturdier plant
- Faster visual impact after planting
Example:
- 5 Gallon: Ideal for residential gardens, easy to handle, good balance of value and maturity
- 15 Gallon: More mature, provides quicker results in the landscape

Note: Gallon size does not guarantee a specific height, as growth varies by species.

🌳 Multi (Multi-Trunk / Multi-Branch Form)

Multi indicates the plant has multiple trunks or main stems growing from the base.

Commonly used for:
- Ornamental trees
- Feature plants
- Japanese maples, olives, crepe myrtles, etc.
Why choose Multi:
- Fuller, more sculptural appearance
- Strong visual presence even at younger ages
- Popular for design-focused landscapes

🌲 Stand (Single-Trunk / Standard Form)

Stand (short for Standard) refers to a single, dominant trunk with a raised or naturally formed canopy.

Commonly used for:
- Shade trees
- Street trees
- Orchard and structural plantings
Why choose Stand:
- Clean, classic tree form
- Easier clearance for walkways and lawns
- Preferred for long-term structure and uniformity

🌿 Choosing the Right Size

If you want instant impact → larger Gallon, Multi form
If you want long-term structure → Stand form
If you want flexibility and value → mid-size Gallon containers

If you’re unsure which size or form fits your project, our team is happy to help you select the best option based on your space, timeline, and design goals.

Features:Foliage: Oblong-ovate green leaves with serrated margins; emerging new growth displays coppery-red coloration.Flowers: White blossoms in panicles.Fruit: Red-brown drupes.Edible Parts: Tender young leaves and shoots are crisp, juicy, and aromatic with unique flavor.Habit: Fast-growing deciduous tree; responds well to pruning for height control; long-lived but may produce suckers
Mature Height: 15-60 ft (manageable through pruning)
Mature Width: 10-20 ft
Growth Rate: Fast
Light Needs: Full sun to partial shade
Key Advantages:Highly nutritious: rich in protein, amino acids, vitamins, and trace elements.Unique culinary flavor profile.Ornamental new growth coloration.Long-lived and low maintenance
Landscape Uses:Edible landscaping.Container gardening (recommended due to suckering habit).Orchard planting.Seasonal interest gardens

Q: How and when do I harvest it?
A: Harvest in early spring when the new shoots are 4-6 inches long and still a vibrant red or purple color. Snip off the tender tips. You can encourage multiple flushes by regular picking. If you coppice the tree (cut it back hard), all the new growth will be harvestable.

Q: Can I eat the leaves when they turn green?
A: The flavor becomes much stronger and more bitter as the leaves mature and turn green. For the best culinary experience, harvest only the young, colored shoots. Mature leaves are too pungent for most palates.

Q: Is it invasive?
A: It can sucker vigorously from its roots, sending up new shoots some distance from the main trunk. To control this, grow it in a large container or be prepared to regularly remove unwanted suckers if planted in the ground. It is not a seed-invasive problem.