Herb: Mountain Mahogany


Latin name: Cercocarpus montanus


Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family)



Medicinal use of Mountain Mahogany:

An infusion of the leaves has been used as a general strengthened to the system. The roots and the bark have been used in the treatment of stomach complaints. A cold infusion of the plant or leaves has been used as a laxative.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Shrub

Height:
4 m
(13 feet)

Flowering:
May to
June

Habitat of the herb:

Dry rocky bluffs or mountainsides, 1,000 - 2,700 metres in Texas.

Other uses of Mountain Mahogany:

Bunches of the tied stems have been used as rough brooms. A red to brown dye can be obtained from the root bark. The bark is often mixed with alder and wild plum root barks when making the dye. Tolerant of maritime exposure and amenable to training, this species can be grown as a hedge in seaside gardens. The wood is heavy, hard and brittle. It makes a valuable fuel and is occasionally used in the manufacture of small articles for domestic and industrial use.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - sow autumn or late winter in a cold frame. Seed of the more tender forms is best sown in the late winter whilst hardier forms are best sown in the autumn. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a cold frame for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame.

Cultivation of Mountain Mahogany:

Dry rocky bluffs or mountainsides, 1,000 - 2,700 metres in Texas.

Known hazards of Cercocarpus montanus:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.