Herb: Mochi Tree


Latin name: Ilex integra


Synonyms: Othera japonica


Family: Aquifoliaceae (Holly Family)



Edible parts of Mochi Tree:

Young leaves - cooked. A famine food, it is only used when all else fails.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Tree

Height:
6 m
(20 feet)

Habitat of the herb:

Thickets and woods in hills and low mountains, often near the sea, in C. and S. Japan.

Propagation of Mochi Tree:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame. It can take 18 months to germinate. Stored seed generally requires two winters and a summer before it will germinate and should be sown as soon as possible in a cold frame. Scarification, followed by a warm stratification and then a cold stratification may speed up the germination time. The seedlings are rather slow-growing. Pot them up into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame for their first year. It is possible to plant them out into a nursery bed in late spring of the following year, but they should not be left here for more than two years since they do not like being transplanted. Alternatively, grow them on in their pots for a second season and then plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer. Give them a good mulch and some protection for their first winter outdoors. Cuttings of almost ripe wood with a heel, August in a shaded position in a cold frame. Leave for 12 months before potting up. Layering in October. Takes 2 years.

Cultivation of the herb:

Thickets and woods in hills and low mountains, often near the sea, in C. and S. Japan.

Medicinal use of Mochi Tree:

None known

Known hazards of Ilex integra:

Although no specific reports of toxicity have been seen for this species, the fruits of at least some members of this genus contain saponins and are slightly toxic. They can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and stupor if eaten in quantity.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.