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Symplocos tinctoria - (L.)L'Hér.

Sweet Leaf

Author	(L.)L'Hér.	Botanical references	11, 43
Family	Symplocaceae	Genus	Symplocos
Synonyms
Known Hazards	None known
Range	South-eastern N. America - Florida to Arkansas, north to Delaware.
Habitat	Woods, swamps and bottomlands[43]. Rich moist soils, often in the shade of dense forests[82].
Edibility Rating	2 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	1 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen Shrub growing to 8m.

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

Habitats

Woodland Garden; Secondary; Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Leaves.

Leaves - raw. Thick and downy, they have a pleasant sweet smell and taste[245]. Chewed for their pleasantly sweet, slightly acid flavour that is refreshing and helps to ease thirst[183].

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.

Febrifuge; Tonic.

The bitter, aromatic roots have been used as a tonic[46, 82]. A decoction of the scraped roots has been used in the treatment of fevers[257].

Other Uses

Dye; Mordant; Wood.

A yellow dye is obtained from the leaves, the bark and the fruits[1, 46, 82]. We have no specific information for this species but many species in this genus contain alum and can be used as mordants when dyeing[168]. Wood - soft, weak, light, close grained, easily worked[46, 82, 235]. It weighs 33lb per cubic foot[235]. Used for turnery[46, 82].

Scented Plants

Flowers: Fresh

The flowers are sweetly perfumed[245].

Leaves: Crushed Dried

The leaves have a sweet smell[245].

Cultivation details

Easily grown in any fertile soil[182]. Prefers a sunny position in a well-drained fertile acid to neutral soil[200]. Plants are often found growing in dense shade in the wild[82]. This species is not very hardy in Britain, it only succeeds outdoors in a sheltered position in the warmest counties of the country[182]. Forms of this species that are hardy in Britain might exist in the north of the plants range or at higher elevations[11]. This species is not a true evergreen, but in climates with mild winters the previous years leaves are not lost until after the new leaves come into growth[229]. Self-sterile, it needs cross-pollination with a different plant in the same species if seed and fruit are to be produced[182]. The flowers are sweetly perfumed[245]. The leaves also have a sweet smell[245]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[200].

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. Stored seed requires stratification and is best sown in a cold frame in late winter, it can take 12 months to germinate[11]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the cold frame for their first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7 - 10cm with a heel, July/August in individual pots in a cold frame[78, 200]. Roots are formed in about 4 weeks. Good percentage[78].

Links

References

[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.

[43] Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950
A bit dated but good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[82] Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America. Dover Publications Inc. New York. 1965 ISBN 0-486-20278-X
Two volumes, a comprehensive listing of N. American trees though a bit out of date now. Good details on habitats, some details on plant uses. Not really for the casual reader.

[168] Grae. I. Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants. MacMillan Publishing Co. New York. 1974 ISBN 0-02-544950-8
A very good and readable book on dyeing.

[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.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[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.

[229] Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980 ISBN 0442238622
A very good concise guide. Gives habitats, good descriptions, maps showing distribution and a few of the uses. It also includes the many shrubs that occasionally reach tree proportions.

[235] Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970 ISBN 0-486-22642-5
Reprint of a 1913 Flora, but still a very useful book.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

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.

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