Herb latin name: Helwingia japonica


Synonyms: Helwingia rusciflora, Osyris japonica


Family: Cornaceae (Dogwood Family)



Edible parts of Helwingia japonica:

Young leaves - cooked with rice or boiled as a potherb. The young flowers and young shoots are also eaten.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
150 cm
(5 feet)

Flowering:
April
to May

Habitat of the herb:

Woods and thickets in hills and low mountains of Japan. Moist rich soil in woods, thickets, valleys, streamsides and roadsides at elevations of 100 - 3400 metres.

Propagation of Helwingia japonica:

Seed - we have no information on this species but suggest sowing the seed in a greenhouse in late winter. 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, July/August in a frame.

Cultivation of the herb:

Woods and thickets in hills and low mountains of Japan. Moist rich soil in woods, thickets, valleys, streamsides and roadsides at elevations of 100 - 3400 metres.

Medicinal use of Helwingia japonica:

None known

Known hazards of Helwingia japonica:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.