Practical
Plants

Ehretia dicksonii

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Ehretia genus in the family Ehretiaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Ehretia
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Height
10 m
Spread
10 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

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

Fruit[1][3]. No further details. The fruit is about 2cm in diameter[4].

Plant part
Fruit

Material uses

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

Wood - light and tough. Used for carrying poles[7][2].

Product or use
Wood

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Secondary canopy

Environment

Range
E. Asia - Japan and southern China.
Habitat
Warm rocky valleys in the warmer areas of C. and S. Japan[8]. In evergreen forests near the sea[6].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 7+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline, very alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

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

Seed - we have no information on this species but suggest sowing it as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse. Sow stored seed in late winter or early spring. 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. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame.

Cultivation

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

Prefers a moderately fertile well-drained sandy loam in a sunny position[4]. Requires a sheltered position[4]. Plants are shade tolerant in continental climates but they require more sun in maritime areas in order to ripen the wood[4]. Rich fertile soils tend to encourage soft sappy growth which is then subject to frost damage over winter[4]. Succeeds on chalky soils[4]. Mature plants are frost hardy, though young plants are often cut back by the frost[4]. The young growth in spring is also susceptible to frost-damage[K]. A tree was 6 metres tall at Kew in 1989[K]. This species closely resembles Ehretia macrophylla Wall. of the E. Himalaya, but the latter has the thin chartaceous, narrower leaves without scabrous on the upper surface and with sparse pubescent hairs on the lower surface, and smaller drupes, ca. 8 mm in diam[6]. The flowers, which are borne on the ripened wood of the previous season's growth, emit a powerful spicy fragrance[5].

References

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

    ↩

  2. Wilson. E. H. Plantae Wilsonae.

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

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  4. 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

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

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  6. Flora of Japan www.foj.info

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩

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

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