Practical
Plants

Clethra barbinervis

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Clethra genus in the family Clethraceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Clethra
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Height
3 m
Spread
3 m
Fertility
Bees
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees

Uses

Edible uses

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

Leaves - cooked[13][16][2][7]. Eaten with rice dishes[6].

Plant part
Leaves

Environment

Range
E. Asia - China, Japan.
Habitat
Wooded hills and mountains all over Japan[15][10]. In sunny deciduous forests on mountains, more or less stony and dry places at elevations of 1000 - 1500 metres[12].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 5+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
very acid, acid, neutral
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

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

Seed - sow early spring in a greenhouse[4]. Only just cover the seed and keep the pot moist. Germination usually takes place within 1 - 3 months at 13°c[5]. 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. Plant them out once they are more than 20cm tall in late spring or early summer after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7 - 10cm with a heel, July/August in a frame[3][4]. Very easy[4]. Root cuttings in December/January[4]. Suckers in the dormant season[4]. They can be planted out direct into their permanent positions if required. Layering of current years growth in late autumn. Takes 18 months. Can also be done in early spring[10].

Cultivation

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

Requires a moist well-drained lime-free peaty soil[1][3][9] succeeding in a sunny position or partial shade[5]. Plants are hardy to about -20°c according to one report[9], this conflicts with another report that says it only succeeds outdoors in Britain from Sussex and westwards[3]. A third report says that the plant is generally hardy but sometimes fails in very cold districts of Britain[8]. The new growth in spring is very susceptible to damage by late frosts[14]. The flowers are fragrant[11]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[10].

References

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

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  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

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  3. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  4. Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987-00-00 ISBN 0942375009

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  5. Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan. 1990-00-00

    ↩1↩2

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

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  7. Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 1977-00-00

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  8. Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2

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  9. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs. Pan Books 1989-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30258-2

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

  11. Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8

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  12. Flora of Japan www.foj.info

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  13. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

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  14. Arnold-Forster. Shrubs for the Milder Counties.

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

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  16. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

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