Practical
Plants

Grewia oppositifolia

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Grewia genus in the family Tiliaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Family
Tiliaceae
Genus
Grewia
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Edible uses

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

Fruit - raw or cooked. A pleasant acid taste[5][1][3]. The fruit is about the size of a pea[6].

Plant part
Fruit

Material uses

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

A fibre is obtained from the bark, it is used in paper and rope making but is not very durable[2][3]. The fibres are 1 - 1.6mm long[4]. Wood - tough and elastic but with a very unpleasant odour when first cut. It is used for making oar shafts, tool handles etc[1][2][3].

Product or use
Fibre
Product or use
Paper
Product or use
Wood

Environment

Range
E. Asia - Himalayas.
Habitat
Foothills of the N.W. Himalayas to 1800 metres[2].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 9+
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 - we have no information for this species but suggest sowing the seed in late winter in a cold frame. 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.

Succeeds in most soils[6]. This species is not very hardy in Britain, preferring hotter summers than are usually experienced here[1]. Plants are often cultivated in the Himalayas[3].

References

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

  2. Gamble. J. S. A Manual of Indian Timbers. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh 1972-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  3. Gupta. B. L. Forest Flora of Chakrata, Dehra Dun and Saharanpur. Forest Research Institute Press 1945-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

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

    ↩

  5. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2

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