Herb: Golden Bells


Latin name: Forsythia viridissima


Family: Oleaceae (Olive Family)



Medicinal use of Golden Bells:

The fruit is antibacterial, antifungal, antispasmdic and emmenagogue. It is used in Korea to treat carbuncles, mastitis, inflammation, suppuration, lymphadenitis and suppressed menstruation.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
2.5 m
(8 1/4 foot)

Flowering:
April

Habitat of the herb:

Ravines, margin of woods near river valleys and streamsides.

Propagation of Golden Bells:

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. The seed usually germinates within 2 months. 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. Cuttings of half-ripe wood 10 - 15cm taken at a node, July/August in a frame. Plant out in autumn or spring. A very high percentage, they root within 3 weeks. Cuttings of mature wood in a sheltered outdoor bed. Good percentage. Layering in spring or summer. Plants often self-layer.

Cultivation of the herb:

Ravines, margin of woods near river valleys and streamsides.

Known hazards of Forsythia viridissima:

Leaves contain the glycoside Phillyrin, its potency is unknown.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.