Herb: Ramie


Latin name: Boehmeria nipononivea


Synonyms: Boehmeria nivea nipononivea


Family: Urticaceae (Nettle Family)



Medicinal use of Ramie:

The plant is used as a medicine to relieve fevers and infections of the urethra.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
150 cm
(5 feet)

Flowering:
September
to October

Habitat of the herb:

Thickets and roadsides at elevations of 200 - 1200 metres in S Anhui, Fujiang and Guangdong Provinces, China.

Edible parts of Ramie:

Root - cooked. Leaves - cooked.

Other uses of the herb:

Ramie fibre, obtained from the stem of the plant, is of very high quality and is used to make cloth, ropes and high-quality cloths, and for some industrial material.

Propagation of Ramie:

Seed - sow spring in a warm greenhouse and only just cover the seed. 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. Division in spring. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted straight into their permanent positions whilst smaller clumps are best potted up and kept in a cold frame until they are growing away well. Layering. Basal cuttings in late spring. Harvest the shoots when they are about 10 - 15cm long with plenty of underground stem. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Grow them on for their first winter in the cold frame and then plant them out in the summer.

Cultivation of the herb:

Thickets and roadsides at elevations of 200 - 1200 metres in S Anhui, Fujiang and Guangdong Provinces, China.

Known hazards of Boehmeria nipononivea:

Although members of the nettle family, plants in this genus do not have stinging hairs.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.