Practical
Plants

Prinsepia sinensis

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Prinsepia genus in the family Rosaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Rosaceae
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Growth rate
moderate
Height
1.8 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

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

Fruit - raw or cooked[1][2][5]. Red and juicy[3]. A pleasant sour taste[10], they can be eaten out of hand or made into jellies[7]. The plum-shaped fruit is about 15mm long with one large seed[8].

Plant part
Fruit

Environment

Range
E. Asia - Northern China to Manchuria.
Habitat
In the shade of mixed forests and in shrubberies, especially on pebbly or alluvial soils[10]. Mixed forests, forests of shady slopes, open places on slopes and beside streams in northern China[9].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 4+
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 if given 2 months cold stratification[4]. Sow the seed in autumn if possible, otherwise in late winter or early spring in a cold frame in light shade. Germination may be inhibited by light[4]. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle into individual pots. Grow them on in a greenhouse or cold frame for their first winter and plant them out in late spring or early summer of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame[4].

Cultivation

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

Succeeds in any moderately fertile well-drained soil in full sun or light shade[6][8]. The plants produce flowers and fruits better when they are growing in full sun[8]. Flowers are produced on the previous seasons wood[8]. They are produced on old wood according to another report[6]. This plant has a potential for commercial fruit production[10]. Unfortunately, it only fruits in Britain after long hot summers[8].

References

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

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

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

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  4. Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987-00-00 ISBN 0942375009

    ↩1↩2↩3

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

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

    ↩1↩2

  7. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

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

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  10. Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

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