Broussonetia kazinoki
Kozo
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Moraceae
- Genus
- Broussonetia
- Life cycle
- perennial
- Foliage
- deciduous
- Woodiness
- woody
- Height
- 4.5 m
- Fertility
- self sterile
- Flower type
- monoecious
Uses
Edible uses
Fruit - raw[2][5]. A sweet taste[11]. The fruit comprises a ball about 1cm in diameter with small edible fruits protruding - there is not much edible flesh but it has a lovely flavour[K]. Prolonged ingestion of the fruit is said to weaken the bones[6]. Leaves - cooked and used as a vegetable[2][5][7]. Flowers[2][5][7]. No more details.
- Plant part
- Flowers
- Plant part
- Fruit
- Plant part
- Leaves
Medicinal uses
Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.
The fruit is used as a tonic to increase vision and sexual potency[9].
- Product or use
- Tonic
Material uses
A fibre from the bark is used in making paper, cloth, rope etc[12][14]. It is inferior to B. papyrifera[11].
- Product or use
- Fibre
Environment
- Range
- E. Asia - C. and S. Japan, Korea.
- Habitat
- Forest margins, low mountains and near houses[10].
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- no shade
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- Zone 7+
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy, clay
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Drainage
- well drained
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
Seed - no pre-treatment is required. Sown in the autumn or spring in a greenhouse, germination usually takes place within 1 - 3 months at 15°c[4]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter, planting them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 8 - 12cm long with a heel, July/August in a frame. High percentage[3][15]. Cuttings of mature wood of the current season's growth, November in a frame[8]. Root cuttings in winter[8]. Layering in spring[8].
Cultivation
Easily cultivated in a warm sunny position in any soil of reasonable quality[1][3], thriving on poor sandy or gravelly soils[8]. Tolerates atmospheric pollution[8]. The young growth in spring, even on mature plants, is frost-tender and so it is best to grow the plants in a position sheltered from the early morning sun[K]. Often cultivated in Japan for the fibre in its bark, the tree is coppiced annually for this purpose[11][13]. Some plants are monoecious whilst others are dioecious. Male and female plants must usually be grown if seed is required[8].
References
F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00
Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00
Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 3. Thompson and Morgan. 1989-00-00
Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169
Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 1977-00-00
Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Flora of China 1994-00-00 http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00
Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965-00-00
Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202
Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948-00-00