Herb latin name: Docynia delavayi


Synonyms: Pyrus delavayi


Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family)



Edible parts of Docynia delavayi:

Fruit - raw, cooked or used in preserves. When ripe it is like an apple. The fruit is about 4cm in diameter.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Tree

Height:
10 m
(33 feet)

Flowering:
April
to May

Habitat of the herb:

Riversides in valleys, mixed forests and mountainous areas at elevations of 1000 - 3000 metres in W Guizhou, W Sichuan and NW Yunnan Provinces.

Other uses of Docynia delavayi:

The fruits of this plant are used to promote the ripening of persimmons, Diospyros kaki. The fruits of each species are placed in alternate layers in a large container, they are then covered with rice husks and in 10 hours the persimmons are ready for eating.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame. 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.

Cultivation of Docynia delavayi:

Riversides in valleys, mixed forests and mountainous areas at elevations of 1000 - 3000 metres in W Guizhou, W Sichuan and NW Yunnan Provinces.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Docynia delavayi:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.