Herb: Swamp Privet


Latin name: Forestiera acuminata


Synonyms: Adelia acuminata, Borya acuminata


Family: Oleaceae (Olive Family)



Medicinal use of Swamp Privet:

A decoction of the roots and bark has been taken as a "health beverage".

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
3 m
(9 3/4 foot)

Flowering:
March
to April

Habitat of the herb:

Wet river banks, by ponds and swamps.

Edible parts of Swamp Privet:

The fruit is chewed. It is about 25mm long with a thin dry flesh surrounding a large seed.

Other uses of the herb:

Wood - hard, strong, close-grained. The wood is soft, light and weak according to another report. It weighs 39lb per cubic foot. Used for turnery.

Propagation of Swamp Privet:

Seed - we have no information on this species but suggest sowing the seed as soon as it is ripe in the autumn or in late winter 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. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Cuttings of mature wood, November to February in a frame or sheltered outdoor bed.

Cultivation of the herb:

Wet river banks, by ponds and swamps.

Known hazards of Forestiera acuminata:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.