Herb: Rice Paper Plant


Latin name: Tetrapanax papyrifer


Synonyms: Aralia papyrifera, Fatsia papyrifera, Tetrapanax papyrifera


Family: Araliaceae (Ginseng Family)



Medicinal use of Rice Paper Plant:

The pith is deobstruent, diuretic, febrifuge, galactagogue, sedative and vermifuge. It is used in Korea in the treatment of oedema.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Shrub

Height:
5 m
(16 feet)

Flowering:
August

Habitat of the herb:

Hillsides in mixed forests and shrub thickets at elevations of 100 - 2800 metres. Subtropical forests.

Edible parts of Rice Paper Plant:

Root. No more details are given.

Other uses of the herb:

The inner pith of the stems is used to make "rice paper". It is also used for making toys and flowers, for surgical dressings and for painting on. The paper is made by cutting thin slivers from long sections of the pith.

Propagation of Rice Paper Plant:

Seed - sow autumn in a greenhouse. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow on for at least their first year in the greenhouse. Plant out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Consider giving the plants some protection from winter cold for their first few years outdoors. Division of suckers in the early spring. They can be difficult to establish. It is probably best to pot up the divisions and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse until they are well established. Keep them in the greenhouse for their first winter then plant them out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.

Cultivation of the herb:

Hillsides in mixed forests and shrub thickets at elevations of 100 - 2800 metres. Subtropical forests.

Known hazards of Tetrapanax papyrifer:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.