| Habitats
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Woodland Garden Secondary; Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade;
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| Edible Uses
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Edible Parts: Fruit.
Fruit - raw or cooked[105, 177]. The fully ripe fruit is quite pleasant but slightly astringent[K]. It is about 1.5cm long[200]. The fruit contains about 8.6% sugars, 2.9% malic acid, 0.74% ash[179].
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| Medicinal Uses
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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.
Antibacterial; Antifungal; Antiperiodic; Antiseptic; Antitumor; Astringent; Diuretic; Hepatic; Hypotensive; Tonic.
Shan Zhu Yu has been used for at least 2,000 years in Chinese herbal medicine. It is a herb that "stabilizes and binds" and is used principally to reduce heavy menstrual bleeding and unusually active secretions including copious sweating, excessive urine, spermatorrhoea and premature ejaculation[147, 238, 254]. Like all herbs that suppress bodily fluids (even excessive ones), it will simply prolong or lead to a worsening of symptoms if it is used without tonic or detoxifying herbs[254]. It is, therefore, normally used in combination with herbs such as Rehmannia glutinosa and is an ingredient of the "Pill of eight ingredients" which is used in China to "warm up and invigorate the yang of the loins"[254].
The fruit is antibacterial, antifungal, hypotensive, antitumor, astringent, diuretic, hepatic and tonic[116, 147, 176, 178, 238]. The fruit, without the seed, is decocted for the treatment of arthritis, fever and a wide range of other ailments[218, 279]. It is used in the treatment of senile lumbago, diabetes, cystitis, tinnitus etc[174, 254, 279]. The fruit has an antibacterial action, inhibiting the growth of Bacillus dysenteriae and Staphylococcus[176]. The fruit is harvested when fully ripe and is dried for later use[238].
The stem bark is astringent, antimalarial and tonic[218].
The plant is antibacterial, diuretic, hypotensive and a urinary antiseptic[218].
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| Cultivation details
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An easily grown plant, it succeeds in any soil of good or moderate fertility[1], ranging from acid to shallow chalk[200]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Succeeds in full sun or light shade[[188].
A very ornamental plant[1], it is very closely related to C. mas[1, 11] but is more tree-like in its habit[K].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[200].
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| Propagation
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Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame or in an outdoors seedbed if there is sufficient seed[80, 113]. The seed must be separated from the fruit flesh since this contains germination inhibitors[80, 164]. Stored seed should be cold stratified for 3 - 4 months and sown as early as possible in the year[164]. Scarification may also help as may a period of warm stratification before the cold stratification[80, 164]. Germination, especially of stored seed, can be very slow, taking 18 months or more[164]. Prick out the seedlings of cold-frame sown seeds into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow the plants on for their first winter in a greenhouse, planting out in the spring after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe side shoots, July/August in a frame.
Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, taken with a heel if possible, autumn in a cold frame. High percentage[78].
Layering of new growth in June/July. Takes 9 months[78].
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| Botanical References
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| 11200266
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| Links / References
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[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
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| Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
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| [11]Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement.
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| A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
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| [78]Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers.
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| A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
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| [80]McMillan-Browse. P. Hardy Woody Plants from Seed.
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| Does not deal with many species but it is very comprehensive on those that it does cover. Not for casual reading.
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| [105]Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
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| 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.
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| [109]Wilson. E. H. Plantae Wilsonae.
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| 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.
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| [113]Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation.
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| A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.
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| [116]Brooklyn Botanic Garden Oriental Herbs and Vegetables, Vol 39 No. 2.
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| A small booklet packed with information.
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| [147]? A Barefoot Doctors Manual.
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| A very readable herbal from China, combining some modern methods with traditional chinese methods.
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| [164]Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4.
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| Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. A good article on Yuccas, one on Sagebrush (Artemesia spp) and another on Chaerophyllum bulbosum.
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| [174]Kariyone. T. Atlas of Medicinal Plants.
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| A good Japanese herbal.
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| [176]Yeung. Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas.
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| An excellent Chinese herbal giving information on over 500 species. Rather technical and probably best suited to the more accomplished user of herbs.
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| [177]Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption.
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| An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
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| [178]Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica.
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| A translation of an ancient Chinese herbal. Fascinating.
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| [179]Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao.
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| A translation of an ancient Chinese book on edible wild foods. Fascinating.
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| [188]Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers
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| Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.
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| [200]Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
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| Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
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| [218]Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China
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| Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
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| [238]Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses.
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| A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
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| [254]Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants
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| An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.
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| [266] Flora of China
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| On-line version of the Flora - an excellent resource giving basic info on habitat and some uses.
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| [279] Medicinal Plants in the Republic of Korea
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| An excellent book with terse details about the medicinal uses of the plants with references to scientific trials. All plants are described, illustrated and brief details of habitats given.
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| Subject : Cornus officinalis |
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