Practical
Plants

Platycarya strobilacea

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Platycarya genus in the family Juglandaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Height
12 m
Spread
12 m
Flower type
monoecious

Uses

Edible uses

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

Young leaves - cooked[4]. A famine food, only used when all else fails[6].

Plant part
Leaves

Material uses

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

A black dye is obtained from the fruits. It is used for dyeing cloth[9][10][2]. A black dye is obtained from the bark. It is used for dyeing nets[9][10]. (It quite possibly contains tannin which will also help to preserve the nets[K].) The root is very fragrant when it is burnt. It is used in baths[5]. The wood is a good fuel[5].

Product or use
Dye
Product or use
Fuel
Product or use
Incense

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Canopy

Environment

Range
E. Asia - China, Korea.
Habitat
Thickets and woods from sea level to 1300 metres[2]. Mixed forests on mountain slopes, sometimes on limestone, at elevations of 400 - 2,200 metres[8].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 7+
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.

The seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Stored seed requires a period of cold stratification[7]. 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. Consider giving the plants some protection from the cold for at least their first winter outdoors. Layering[7].

Cultivation

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

Requires a deep moist humus-rich loam and a sunny sheltered position[7]. Trees are hardy to about -12°c in Britain[7], but they are not usually a success in our climate[1], preferring a warm dry continental climate[7]. A tree in Hampshire is growing and fruiting well[3]. A tree at Kew flowered heavily in the hot summer of 1989[K].

References

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

    ↩

  2. Wilson. E. H. Plantae Wilsonae.

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩

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

    ↩

  5. Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre

    ↩1↩2

  6. Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 1977-00-00

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩1↩2

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