Back to main Search Page

Decaisnea fargesii - Franch.

Blue Sausage Fruit

Author	Franch.	Botanical references	11, 200, 266
Family	Lardizabalaceae	Genus	Decaisnea
Synonyms
Known Hazards	None known
Range	E. Asia - W. China
Habitat	Moist woods and thickets to 1600 metres[109]. Mixed forests, scrub on mountain slopes, wet area in ravines at elevations of 900 - 3600 metres[266].
Edibility Rating	3 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	0 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

A decidious Shrub growing to 4m by 4m at a medium rate.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats

Woodland Garden; Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit.

Fruit - raw[1, 105]. A sweet taste, but rather insipid[109]. A very nice delicate flavour according to our palates[K]. The fruit looks like a bright blue sausage or broad bean pod[K] and is up to 10cm long[200]. You peel off the skin in much the same way as you would peel a broad bean pod, this reveals a line of seed running the entire length of the fruit surrounded by a relatively thin layer of flesh[K].

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

An easily grown plant[182] succeeding in most soils[202], but it prefers a rich moist loamy soil and a sunny position sheltered from cold winds[175, 200]. Succeeds in partial shade[200]. Prefers partial shade, succeeding in full sun if the soil is reliably moist[202]. Dislikes drought[K]. A very cold-hardy plant when fully dormant, but the flowers and young growth in spring can be damaged by late frosts[11, 200]. Plants usually fruit well and regularly in Cornwall[11, 58] and a specimen has been seen on a number of occasions at Kew Botanical gardens laden down with fruit[K]. The flowers are produced at the tips of the new upright growths in the spring[11, 202]. Plants take some years from seed to produce fruit[202]. A very ornamental plant[1]. It is fairly fast growing but it looks gaunt and open in the winter[182]. Plants do not usually require pruning[202]. In some new floras, this species is seen as no more than a synonym for D. insignis[266].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[200], it then usually germinates freely in early spring[K]. Sow stored seed in February in a greenhouse. This usually germinates well, within 1 - 3 months at 18°c[175]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow them on under protection for their first winter. Plant out in late spring after the last expected frosts. Cuttings.

Links

This plant is also mentioned in the following PFAF articles: The Urban Garden , The Woodland Edge Garden.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[58] Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965
The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[109] Wilson. E. H. Plantae Wilsonae. 0
Details of the palnts collected by the plant collector E. H. Wilson on his travels in China. Gives some habitats. Not for the casual reader.

[175] Bird. R. (Editor) Focus on Plants. Volume 5. (formerly 'Growing from seed') Thompson and Morgan. 1991
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. A good article on Corydalis spp.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[202] Davis. B. Climbers and Wall Shrubs. Viking. 1990 ISBN 0-670-82929-3
Contains information on 2,000 species and cultivars, giving details of cultivation requirements. The text is terse but informative.

[266] Flora of China 1994
On-line version of the Flora - an excellent resource giving basic info on habitat and some uses.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

Decaisnea fargesii

Bridget Mackwood Wed Oct 17 2007

Not only is this edible and yes quite dull but it is full of pectin and a great additive to jams and jellies as a form of natural pectin.

The Woodland Edge Garden

cazacu constantin Tue Jan 29 2008

nu cunosc liba inscrisa va rog transmiteti in romana solicit cooperare cu un apicultor canadian.Sunt din Romania si sunt crescator de albine. Vreau sa cooperez cu un crescator de albine canadian poate chiar dupa aprobari vei veni in canada solicit aceasta deoarece imi place si ma atrage canada fiind o tara unde tot omul are respect si se respecta drepturile.

cazacu constantin titi_5700@yahoo.co.uk

Decaisnea fargesii

Colin Measures Sat May 9 2009

Where in East Anglia England can I purchase this plant.

Decaisnea fargesii

Bruce Anderson Thu Oct 15 2009

I have it growing in my garden in Wivenhoe and have just picked some pods full of seeds - you are welcome to some. You can find me in the phone book.

Add a comment/link:

Discussion Monitor

To have posts to this page mailed to you enter your email address here:

(Your email address will not appear on the webpage or be passed on to third parties).