Herb latin name: Ligustrum indicum


Synonyms: Ligustrum nepalense


Family: Oleaceae (Olive Family)



Edible parts of Ligustrum indicum:

The roasted seed is a coffee substitute.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Shrub

Height:
3 m
(9 3/4 foot)

Flowering:
June
to July

Habitat of the herb:

Damp gullies, wet oak forests, 1200 - 2700 metres from Uttar Pradesh to Bhutan.

Propagation of Ligustrum indicum:

The seed does not require any pre-treatment and can be sown in the spring in a cold frame. 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, 5 - 10cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Very easy. Cuttings of mature wood, 20 - 30cm in a sheltered outdoor bed in November/December. High percentage.

Cultivation of the herb:

Damp gullies, wet oak forests, 1200 - 2700 metres from Uttar Pradesh to Bhutan.

Medicinal use of Ligustrum indicum:

None known

Known hazards of Ligustrum indicum:

Although no reports of toxicity have been seen for this species, at least one member of this genus is recorded as being mildly toxic and it is quite possible that other members of the genus also contain toxins.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.