Herb: Kozo


Latin name: Broussonetia kazinoki


Synonyms: Broussonetia kaempferi, Broussonetia monoica, Broussonetia sieboldii


Family: Moraceae (Mulberry Family)



Medicinal use of Kozo:

The fruit is used as a tonic to increase vision and sexual potency.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Tree

Height:
4.5 m
(15 feet)

Flowering:
August

Habitat of the herb:

Forest margins, low mountains and near houses.

Edible parts of Kozo:

Fruit - raw. A sweet taste. The fruit comprises a ball about 1cm in diameter with small edible fruits protruding - there is not much edible flesh but it has a lovely flavour. Prolonged ingestion of the fruit is said to weaken the bones. Leaves - cooked and used as a vegetable. Flowers. No more details.

Other uses of the herb:

A fibre from the bark is used in making paper, cloth, rope etc. It is inferior to B. papyrifera.

Propagation of Kozo:

Seed - no pre-treatment is required. Sown in the autumn or spring in a greenhouse, germination usually takes place within 1 - 3 months at 15°C. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter, planting them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 8 - 12cm long with a heel, July/August in a frame. High percentage. Cuttings of mature wood of the current season's growth, November in a frame. Root cuttings in winter. Layering in spring.

Cultivation of the herb:

Forest margins, low mountains and near houses.

Known hazards of Broussonetia kazinoki:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.