Herb: Star Magnolia


Latin name: Magnolia stellata


Family: Magnoliaceae (Magnolia Family)



Edible parts of Star Magnolia:

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

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
5 m
(16 feet)

Flowering:
March
to April

Scent:
Scented
Shrub

Habitat of the herb:

Woods in mountains. Found only in the mountains to the north-east of Nagoya.

Propagation of Star Magnolia:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Stored seed must be kept cold over the winter and should be sown in late winter in a cold frame. The seed usually germinates in the spring but it can take 18 months. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse for at least their first winter. They can be planted out into their permanent positions when they are more than 15cm tall, though should be well mulched and given some protection from winter cold for their first winter or two outdoors. Layering in early spring. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, early summer in a frame.

Cultivation of the herb:

Woods in mountains. Found only in the mountains to the north-east of Nagoya.

Medicinal use of Star Magnolia:

None known

Known hazards of Magnolia stellata:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.