Weiduo Liu^1,2

1 Zhejiang zhongxin Medical Plant Seed Co. Ltd., Hangzhou, 311402, Zhejiang, China
2 Zhejiang Agronomist College, Hangzhou, 310021, Zhejiang, China
Author    Correspondence author
Medicinal Plant Research, 2026, Vol. 16, No. 1   
Received: 19 Jan., 2026    Accepted: 05 Mar., 2026    Published: 20 Mar., 2026

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

This study focuses on the understory ecological cultivation model of Tetrastigma hemsleyanum and systematically analyzes its resource value, biological characteristics, understory habitat adaptability, compound cultivation models, key cultivation techniques, and comprehensive benefits. T. hemsleyanum is a traditional medicinal plant with high medicinal value and development potential. Its tuberous roots are rich in active compounds such as flavonoids, polysaccharides, and phenolic acids, showing important research value in anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-tumor, and immunomodulatory activities. With increasing market demand and declining wild resources, artificial ecological cultivation has become an important approach for resource conservation and industrial development of T. hemsleyanum. T. hemsleyanum prefers shaded and humid conditions and is sensitive to strong light. It is suitable for growth in semi-shaded, humid, humus-rich, and well-drained understory environments. Bamboo forests, fruit forests, and broad-leaved forests can all provide suitable ecological cultivation conditions to some extent, but appropriate models should be selected according to stand structure, canopy density, soil conditions, and management objectives. Understory cultivation of T. hemsleyanum should focus on high-quality seedling propagation, vine guidance and trellising, water and fertilizer management, green pest and disease control, and timely harvesting, so as to promote tuberous root formation and stable accumulation of medicinal components. Understory ecological cultivation of T. hemsleyanum can improve forestland resource utilization efficiency, reduce dependence on wild resources, and promote medicinal plant resource conservation, ecological benefit enhancement, and the development of characteristic Chinese medicinal herb industries. In the future, provenance standardization, cultivation technical protocols, quality control, and industrial promotion systems should be further improved to advance the standardized, large-scale, and sustainable development of understory ecological cultivation of T. hemsleyanum.

Tetrastigma hemsleyanum; Understory ecological cultivation; Compound cultivation model; Tuberous root quality; Forest-medicine compound management