Herb: Japanese Storax


Latin name: Styrax japonica


Family: Styracaceae (Storax Family)



Edible parts of Japanese Storax:

Fruit - raw. The fruit is about 14mm in diameter.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Tree

Height:
8 m
(26 feet)

Flowering:
June


Scent:
Scented
Tree

Habitat of the herb:

Thickets and thin woods in mountains and hills all over Japan.

Other uses of Japanese Storax:

The fruits are used as beads in rosaries etc. An oil is obtained from the seed. No further details are given. Wood - fine-grained. Used to make umbrella handles.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - requires stratification and is best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. Stored seed requires 3 months warm then 3 months cold stratification. Germination is usually good, prick out the seedlings into individual pots once they are large enough to handle. Overwinter in a greenhouse for the first winter and plant out in late spring. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Layering in autumn.

Cultivation of Japanese Storax:

Thickets and thin woods in mountains and hills all over Japan.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Styrax japonica:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.