Practical
Plants

Symplocos paniculata

Asiatic Sweetleaf

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Symplocos genus in the family Symplocaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Height
4 m
Spread
4 m
Fertility
self sterile
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Edible uses

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

Fruit - cooked[5]. Used in jams, jellies and sauce[7]. The fruit is about 8mm in diameter[8].

Plant part
Fruit

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.

The bark is astringent, cooling and tonic[9]. It is useful in the treatment of menorrhagia, bowel complaints, eye diseases and ulcers[9]. It is also used as a gargle for giving firmness to spongy and bleeding gums[9]. The juice of the bark is applied externally to sprains and muscular swellings[12].

Product or use
Astringent
Product or use
Ophthalmic
Product or use
Tonic

Material uses

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

A yellow or red dye is obtained from the leaves and bark[13][2][3][12]. We have no specific information for this species but many species in this genus contain alum and can be used as mordants when dyeing[4]. Wood - white, soft to moderately hard. close grained, liable to twist and split when seasoning. Of possible use in turnery[2][3].

Product or use
Dye
Product or use
Mordant
Product or use
Wood

Environment

Range
E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea, Himalayas.
Habitat
Forests and shrubberies at elevations of 1000 - 2700 metres, Pakistan to S. W. China and Burma[13]. Slopes in mixed forests at elevations of 800 - 2500 metres[11].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 5+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
very acid, acid
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

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

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. Stored seed requires stratification and is best sown in a cold frame in late winter, it can take 12 months to germinate[1]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the cold frame for their first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7 - 10cm with a heel, July/August in individual pots in a cold frame[14][8]. Roots are formed in about 4 weeks. Good percentage[14].

Cultivation

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

Requires an acid soil and a sunny position. Succeeds in a sunny position in any well-drained fertile neutral to acid soil[6][8]. One report says that plants are hardy to about -10°c, though it is also said that they can survive quite harsh winters outdoors in Britain but that they need a warm, sunny protected position and a hot summer if they are to fruit well[1][8]. The fruits are sometimes spoiled by frosts[8]. The flowers are sweetly fragrant[8][10]. Self-sterile, it needs cross-pollination with a different plant in the same species if seed and fruit are to be produced[1][6]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[8].

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

    ↩1↩2

  4. Grae. I. Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants. MacMillan Publishing Co. New York. 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-02-544950-8

    ↩

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

    ↩

  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

    ↩

  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↩6↩7

  9. Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  10. Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8

    ↩

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

    ↩

  12. Manandhar. N. P. Plants and People of Nepal Timber Press. Oregon. 2002-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-527-6

    ↩1↩2

  13. Polunin. O. and Stainton. A. Flowers of the Himalayas. Oxford Universtiy Press 1984-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  14. Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948-00-00

    ↩1↩2

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