Practical
Plants

Sapium japonicum

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Sapium genus in the family Euphorbiaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Sapium
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Height
5 m
Flower type
monoecious

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

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

The sap is poisonous[4].

Edible uses

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

Seed - cooked[1][3].

Plant part
Seed

Environment

Range
E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea.
Habitat
Thin woods in the lowlands and mountains of C. and S. Japan[5].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 9+
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 - do not cold stratify the seed since this can lead to secondary dormancy. Sown in April in a warm greenhouse, it usually germinates within 4 weeks[2]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. Overwinter in a greenhouse for at least their first 2 winters and plant out in late spring. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame.

Cultivation

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

Succeeds in a sunny position in any well-drained fertile soil[4]. Requires the protection of a south or south-west facing wall when grown in areas at the limits of its hardiness[4]. Although not very hardy outdoors in Britain, the plant tolerates several degrees of frost and so can be grown against a sunny wall in favoured parts of the country[4]. A specimen seen growing outdoors at Hilliers Arboretum in Hampshire, but in the shade of other trees, was carrying a heavy crop of unripe seeds in September 1994[K].

References

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

    ↩

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

    ↩

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

    ↩

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