Herb: Cruel Plant


Latin name: Araujia sericifera


Family: Asclepiadaceae (Milkweed Family)



Edible parts of Cruel Plant:

Fruit - after preparation. No further details are given but the fruit is a long grooved pod 12.5 x 7.5cm, tapering to a fascicle of hairs 2.5cm long.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Climber

Height:
10 m
(33 feet)

Flowering:
September


Scent:
Scented
Climber

Habitat of the herb:

Sandy sea shores in S.W. Europe.

Other uses of Cruel Plant:

A strong fibre obtained from stems is used in making textiles.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. The seed can be sown at any time of the year if the greenhouse is heated. Germinates in 3 - 6 weeks at 20°C according to one report whilst another says that it takes 1 - 6 months at 25°C. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of mature wood of the current seasons growth, late autumn in a frame.

Cultivation of Cruel Plant:

Sandy sea shores in S.W. Europe.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Araujia sericifera:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.