Practical
Plants

Helwingia chinensis

a perennial woody evergreen member of the Helwingia genus in the family Cornaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Family
Cornaceae
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Height
1.5 m
Fertility
self sterile
Flower type
dioecious

Uses

Edible uses

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

The flowers and leaves might be edible[3].

Plant part
Flowers
Plant part
Leaves

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.

A decoction of the leaves and the bark are ingested for treating skin inflammations[5].

Product or use
Skin

Environment

Range
E. Asia - W. China.
Habitat
Thickets, 1300 - 2300 metres in W. Szechwan[2]. Mixed woods and thickets on slopes, broad-leaved forests, at elevations of 1000 - 2600 metres[6].
Light
partial sun
Shade tolerance
permanent shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 8+
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 on this species but suggest sowing the seed in a greenhouse in late winter. 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.

Succeeds in ordinary garden soil[1]. Requires a sheltered position beneath a good tree canopy cover[4]. Plants are not very hardy outdoors in Britain, only thriving in milder areas of the country where winter temperatures do not fall below about -7°c[4]. The flowers are produced on the midribs of the leaves[4]. Dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

References

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

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  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

  5. Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4

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  6. Flora of China 1994-00-00 http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/

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