Practical
Plants

Edgeworthia papyrifera

Paperbush

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

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Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Height
2.5 m
Spread
2 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Material uses

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

A high-class paper is made from the bark[1][3][11][12][9]. The bark fibres are used[12]. The stems are harvested in spring or early summer, the leaves are removed and the stems steamed until the fibres can be stripped. The outer bark is removed from the inner by peeling or scraping. The fibres are cooked for 2 hours with soda ash and then beaten with mallets or put through a blender. The paper is off white in colour[8]. The stems are extremely supple and can be tied in knots[3][5].

Product or use
Paper
Product or use
String

Environment

Range
E. Asia - China.
Habitat
Forests and streamsides, at elevations of 300 - 1600 metres in Ichang Province[2][9].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 8+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
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 - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Place the pot in a plastic bag to keep it moist[4]. The seed might germinate in the spring, though it could take another 12 months. Stored seed usually requires 8 - 12 weeks warm stratification at 20°c followed by 12 - 14 weeks at 3°c[4]. Germination can still take 12 months or more at 15°c[4]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle, and grow on in a greenhouse for at least a year before planting out in late spring or early summer[4]. Consider giving the plants some protection from the cold for their first winter outdoors. Cuttings in spring. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame[9].

Cultivation

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

Succeeds in any soil in sun or part shade[4][6][9], growing well in light woodland[9]. Prefers a well-drained soil with plenty of moisture in the growing season[1][9]. Plants are hardy to about -15°c according to one report[6], whilst others say that it is only hardy in the milder areas of Britain[1][3]. It succeeds on a wall at Kew[K] and as a free-standing shrub in Cornwall[3]. The flowers are damaged by frost, so the plant is best grown on a south or west-facing wall[7]. Plants resent root disturbance and should be put into their permanent positions as soon as possible[7]. Cultivated in Japan for the paper that can be made from the bark[3][9]. The stems are harvested every second year[12]. This species is very closely related to and scarcely distinct from E. gardneri and E. chrysantha[9]. The flowers diffuse a pronounced clove-like perfume and will scent the air to some distance on a calm day[10].

References

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

  2. Wilson. E. H. Plantae Wilsonae.

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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↩5

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

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

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

    ↩1↩2

  7. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

    ↩1↩2

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

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8

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

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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

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