Herb latin name: Boehmeria spicata


Synonyms: Boehmeria paraspicata, Boehmeria tricuspis unicuspis, Urtica spicata


Family: Urticaceae (Nettle Family)



Edible parts of Boehmeria spicata:

Young leaves - cooked. The stems and the leaves are dried and ground into a meal then used in dumplings.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
100 cm
(3 1/4 foot)

Flowering:
July to
August

Habitat of the herb:

Common in mountains, C. and S. Japan. Thickets, grassland, edges of forests, by ditches in hills and mountains at elevations of 100 - 1600 metres.

Other uses of Boehmeria spicata:

The fibre obtained from the stems is used to make ropes, cloth and paper.

Propagation of the herb:

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 Boehmeria spicata:

Common in mountains, C. and S. Japan. Thickets, grassland, edges of forests, by ditches in hills and mountains at elevations of 100 - 1600 metres.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Boehmeria spicata:

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

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.