Herb latin name: Xylosma japonica


Synonyms: Apactis japonica, Croton congestum, Flacourtia japonica, Hisingera japonica, Hisingera racemosa, Xylosma congestum, Xylosma racemosum


Family: Flacourtiaceae



Medicinal use of Xylosma japonica:

The ashes of the stem bark are mixed with water and used to treat jaundice scrofula, sores, tumours etc. They are also used to speed parturition.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Tree

Height:
25 m
(82 feet)

Flowering:
August to
September

Habitat of the herb:

Near seashores, C. and S. Japan. Woodlands in Korea.

Edible parts of Xylosma japonica:

Young shoots - cooked. A famine food, they are only used when all else fails. The leaves contain a glycoside, see the notes above on toxicity.

Other uses of the herb:

Tolerant of clipping, the plant can be grown as a formal hedge especially in areas cooler than its native range where it only develops into a shrub or small tree.

Propagation of Xylosma japonica:

Seed - we have no information for this species but suggest sowing the seed in spring in a greenhouse. 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. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame.

Cultivation of the herb:

Near seashores, C. and S. Japan. Woodlands in Korea.

Known hazards of Xylosma japonica:

The leaves contain a glycoside. We are not sure if this means that it is poisonous.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.