Practical
Plants

Dirca palustris

Leather Wood

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Dirca genus in the family Thymelaeaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Dirca
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Height
1.8 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

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.

Contact with the plant can cause severe dermatitis with redness, blistering and sores in some people[8].

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.

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

Leatherwood was employed medicinally by a number of native North American Indian tribes who used it to treat a wide variety of ailments[11]. It is little used in modern herbalism and any use should be carried out with caution since even minute doses can cause salivation and burning of the tongue[8]. A tea made from the bark is laxative[8]. Another report says that it is purgative and emetic, and can produce violent vomiting[9][11]. An infusion of the roots has been used in the treatment of pulmonary problems[11]. A decoction of the branches has been applied as a poultice to swellings on the limbs[11]. The plant is a folk remedy for toothaches, facial neuralgia and paralysis of the tongue, venereal disease, and has also been used to try and induce pregnancy[8][11].

Product or use
Emetic
Product or use
Laxative
Product or use
Pectoral
Product or use
Poultice
Product or use
VD

Material uses

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

The tough flexible shoots are used in basket making and as a tying material[1][2][12][13][15]. A rope can be made from the bark fibres[1][2][13][14]. The bark fibres are also used in making paper[6]. The stems are harvested in summer, the leaves are removed and the stems steamed until the fibres can be stripped. The outer and inner barks are separated by scraping or peeling. The fibres are cooked for 2 hours or less with soda ash and then beaten with mallets or put through a blender. The paper is greenish cream in colour[6]. A compound infusion of the roots has been used as a wash to strengthen the hair and make it grow[11].

Product or use
Basketry
Product or use
Fibre
Product or use
Hair care
Product or use
Paper
Product or use
String

Environment

Range
Eastern N. America - New Brunswick to Florida, west to Louisiana and Minnesota.
Habitat
Rich deciduous or mixed woods[12] in moist situations, often on calcareous soils[7].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 4+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

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

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe[3]. Remove the fruit flesh since this can inhibit germination[3]. Dried seed will require 2 - 3 months cold stratification[3]. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 6 months at 15°c[4]. 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. Layering.

Cultivation

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

Thrives in a moist peaty soil[1][2] and a sheltered position[4]. Prefers a reasonably moist humus-rich limy soil according to another report[5]. The flowers are produced in early spring and they are often damaged by frost[1][7]. They have a soft sweet perfume[10]. The species D. occidentalis A.Gray. is very closely related to this plant[7], so it might have the same uses[K].

References

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

  3. 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. Bird. R. (Editor) Focus on Plants. Volume 5. (formerly 'Growing from seed') Thompson and Morgan. 1991-00-00

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩

  6. Bell. L. A. Plant Fibres for Papermaking. Liliaceae Press 1988-00-00

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

  8. Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0395467225

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  9. 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

    ↩

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

    ↩

  11. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  12. Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩

  15. Saunders. C. F. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications 1976-00-00 ISBN 0-486-23310-3

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