Practical
Plants

Boehmeria spicata

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Boehmeria genus in the family Urticaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Height
1 m
Fertility
self sterile
Flower type
dioecious

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Although members of the nettle family, plants in this genus do not have stinging hairs[4].

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Young leaves - cooked[2]. The stems and the leaves are dried and ground into a meal then used in dumplings[2].

Plant part
Leaves

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The fibre obtained from the stems is used to make ropes, cloth and paper[5].

Product or use
Fibre

Environment

Range
E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea.
Habitat
Common in mountains, C. and S. Japan[6]. Thickets, grassland, edges of forests, by ditches in hills and mountains at elevations of 100 - 1600 metres[5].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow spring in a warm greenhouse and only just cover the seed. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division in spring. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted straight into their permanent positions whilst smaller clumps are best potted up and kept in a cold frame until they are growing away well. Layering. Basal cuttings in late spring. Harvest the shoots when they are about 10 - 15cm long with plenty of underground stem. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Grow them on for their first winter in the cold frame and then plant them out in the summer.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors at least in the milder parts of the country. A plant growing in a sunny position in well-drained soil at Kew, planted in 1982, is thriving and was 1 metre tall in mid summer 1999[K]. A sub-shrub, it usually dies back each year to a woody base[6]. This species might be no more than a synonym of B. japonica[6]. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Succeeds in a warm sandy soil[1] that is very well-drained[3]. We are not sure if this species is dioecious or monoecious[K].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩1↩2

  3. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩

  4. Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970-00-00 ISBN 0-486-22642-5

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  5. Flora of China 1994-00-00 http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/

    ↩1↩2

  6. Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

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