Herb: Chinese Redbud


Latin name: Cercis chinensis


Synonyms: Cercis japonica


Family: Leguminosae



Medicinal use of Chinese Redbud:

Treats bladder diseases, post-partum discharges, bleeding piles and internal parasites. The wood and the bark have been used to treat abscesses, bladder ailments and head troubles.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Tree

Height:
15 m
(49 feet)

Flowering:
May

Habitat of the herb:

Woodland and clearings, 600 - 1200 metres in W. Hupeh.

Edible parts of Chinese Redbud:

Although no records of edibility have been seen for the seed, on a zero moisture basis it contains 16.6% protein, 9.2% fat and 2.8% ash.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Pre-soak stored seed for 24 hours in warm water then cold stratify for 3 months. Sow spring in the greenhouse. As soon as they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Plants resent root disturbance and are best planted out in their permanent positions as soon as possible. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame.

Cultivation of Chinese Redbud:

Woodland and clearings, 600 - 1200 metres in W. Hupeh.

Known hazards of Cercis chinensis:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.