Waterlogging in soil restricts the growth of seedlings and inhibits the accumulation of lignans and phenolic acids in thorns.

, commonly known as Chinese Zaojiao, has important economic value and medicinal compounds in its fruits and thorns, making it widely cultivated artificially in China. However, the available literature on the impact of waterlogging on the growth of seedlings and the accumulation of metabolite compounds in its thorns is limited. To address this knowledge gap, seedlings were planted in soil supplemented with pindstrup substrate, which enhances the water-holding capacity of the soil.