Herb latin name: Prinsepia sinensis


Synonyms: Plagiospermum sinense


Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family)



Edible parts of Prinsepia sinensis:

Fruit - raw or cooked. Red and juicy. A pleasant sour taste, they can be eaten out of hand or made into jellies. The plum-shaped fruit is about 15mm long with one large seed.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
180 cm
(6 feet)

Flowering:
April
to May

Habitat of the herb:

In the shade of mixed forests and in shrubberies, especially on pebbly or alluvial soils. Mixed forests, forests of shady slopes, open places on slopes and beside streams in northern China.

Propagation of Prinsepia sinensis:

Seed - best if given 2 months cold stratification. Sow the seed in autumn if possible, otherwise in late winter or early spring in a cold frame in light shade. Germination may be inhibited by light. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle into individual pots. Grow them on in a greenhouse or cold frame for their first winter and plant them out in late spring or early summer of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame.

Cultivation of the herb:

In the shade of mixed forests and in shrubberies, especially on pebbly or alluvial soils. Mixed forests, forests of shady slopes, open places on slopes and beside streams in northern China.

Medicinal use of Prinsepia sinensis:

None known

Known hazards of Prinsepia sinensis:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.