Herb latin name: Platycarya strobilacea


Synonyms: Fortunaea chinensis, Petrophiloides strobilacea


Family: Juglandaceae (Walnut Family)



Edible parts of Platycarya strobilacea:

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

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Tree

Height:
12 m
(39 feet)

Flowering:
June to
August

Habitat of the herb:

Thickets and woods from sea level to 1300 metres. Mixed forests on mountain slopes, sometimes on limestone, at elevations of 400 - 2,200 metres.

Other uses of Platycarya strobilacea:

A black dye is obtained from the fruits. It is used for dyeing cloth. A black dye is obtained from the bark. It is used for dyeing nets. (It quite possibly contains tannin which will also help to preserve the nets.) The root is very fragrant when it is burnt. It is used in baths. The wood is a good fuel.

Propagation of the herb:

The seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Stored seed requires a period of cold stratification. 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. Consider giving the plants some protection from the cold for at least their first winter outdoors. Layering.

Cultivation of Platycarya strobilacea:

Thickets and woods from sea level to 1300 metres. Mixed forests on mountain slopes, sometimes on limestone, at elevations of 400 - 2,200 metres.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Platycarya strobilacea:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.