腊梅，属腊梅科腊梅属，原产我国陕西、湖北等省。由于其花期早，既不与群芳争春，又不畏风雪严寒，因而自古以来，被人们称为“岁寒三友”。
       
    鄢陵腊梅，又名黄梅、香梅，因其花型大、蜡质厚、花期长、香味浓，被列为腊梅科属之上品。其栽培历史悠久，兴于唐宋，盛于明清，明代韩程愈《叙花》记载：“腊梅一种，惟鄢陵著名，四方诸召事，购求无虚日，士人皆以为累。”清代乾隆年间，鄢陵腊梅每岁末运至京师，单株价白银六两，达官贵人亦将鄢陵腊梅作为礼品互赠，当时的刑部尚书，著名文学家王士祯曾赞誉：“鄢陵腊梅冠天下”，故此鄢陵有“花都”、“花县”之美称，其中又以姚家花园名闻全国。
      
    鄢陵腊梅，其名闻天下，不仅因其栽培历史悠久和数量众多，还在于其品种优良与盆景造型绮丽多姿。如现已绝迹的老苏梅，据传是宋代苏轼被贬时送给好友的，鄢陵王主薄的爱物；圣府梅据说是明代山东布政司参议鄢陵人陈澹享从孔府中购来的。其他如金莲花梅、虎蹄梅、夹心腊梅都是腊梅中的珍品。经“控形”、“动刀” 等艺术加工造型的梅花盆景，因其花期提前，虽风雪寒天而花香满树，姿态优雅而芳香秀丽。清代汪为熹盛赞“高仅尺许，老干疏枝，置之书几之旁，雅致韵人”，在1981年广交会上展出的“赤龙独舞”腊梅盆景，曾受到与会者的赞赏。
       
    鄢陵腊梅不仅有很高的观赏价值，也有一定的实用价值，其根、茎、叶可入药，花能提取芳香油，有解暑生津、顺气止咳、消炎活血之功效。亦可采花窨茶，而其花蕊油又可治烫伤。
      
    由于鄢陵地理位置优越，交通运输方便，传统的栽培技术和广阔的市场前景，对促进花卉发展起到了推动作用。目前，全县有11个乡，210个村，5100多农户和61个国营、集体场园，11000多人从事花卉生产，其中种植腊梅1050亩，品种腊梅400多万株，总产值2000多万元，人均年收入3000元以上。

 

     Yanling Calyx Canthus

    Calyx canthus belongs to calycanthaceae. It is praised as one of Three Durable Plants in Winter for its not competing with other flowers and resisting cold.
      
    Yanling calyx canthus, also called yellow plum or fragrant plum, is respected as superior breed for its big flowers, thick waxiness, long flower season and fragrant smell. This plant has a long cultivating time stemming from Tang and Song Dynasty and prevailing in Ming and Qing Dynasty. Yanling earns nice names of Flower Capital and Flower County, where the most famous is Yao Family's Garden. It earns high reputation not only because of its long cultivating period but also for its high quality and wonderful miniascapes.
      
    Yanling calyx canthus has high ornamental as well as practical values, whose root, stem, leaves all can be made into medicine which has medical functions of resolving summer heat, promoting the secretion, relieving a cough, diminishing inflammation, invigorating blood, etc. Besides, its flowers can be made into flower tea as well as essential oil which can cure scalds.