Herb: Kuro-Giboshi


Latin name: Hosta nigrescens


Family: Funkiaceae



Edible parts of Kuro-Giboshi:

Young leaves and stems - cooked. A famine food, only used when all else fails.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
100 cm
(3 1/4 foot)

Flowering:
August to
September

Habitat of the herb:

Rich fertile soils in mountain valleys and forest margins.

Propagation of Kuro-Giboshi:

Seed - sow spring in a lightly shaded position in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Germination usually takes place within 1 - 3 months at 10°C. Make sure you keep the compost moist. 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. Division is possible at almost any time of the year so long as there is sufficient moisture. It is best carried out in March as growth commences or in early autumn if the soil is not too dry. Hostas can be left undivided for many years and should not be divided any more frequently than once every 3 - 5 years to allow the leaves to reach maturity.

Cultivation of the herb:

Rich fertile soils in mountain valleys and forest margins.

Medicinal use of Kuro-Giboshi:

None known

Known hazards of Hosta nigrescens:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.