Herb latin name: Vaccinium vacciniaceum


Synonyms: Vaccinium serratum


Family: Ericaceae (Heath Family)



Edible parts of Vaccinium vacciniaceum:

Fruit - raw or cooked. The acid tasting flowers are used in curries.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Shrub

Height:
50 cm
(1 foot)

Flowering:
May

Habitat of the herb:

Hill forests of the eastern Himalayas, often epiphytic on trees, at altitudes between 1200 and 2400 metres.

Propagation of Vaccinium vacciniaceum:

Seed - sow late winter in a greenhouse in a lime-free potting mix and only just cover the seed. Stored seed might require a period of up to 3 months cold stratification. Another report says that it is best to sow the seed in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe. Once they are about 5cm tall, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a lightly shaded position 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. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8cm with a heel, August in a frame. Slow and difficult. Layering in late summer or early autumn. Another report says that spring is the best time to layer. Takes 18 months. Division of suckers in spring or early autumn.

Cultivation of the herb:

Hill forests of the eastern Himalayas, often epiphytic on trees, at altitudes between 1200 and 2400 metres.

Medicinal use of Vaccinium vacciniaceum:

None known

Known hazards of Vaccinium vacciniaceum:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.