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Habitats
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Woodland Garden Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; not Deep Shade; North Wall. By. East Wall. By.
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Edible Uses
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Edible Parts: Fruit; Leaves.
Edible Uses: Gum.
Fruit - raw or cooked[183]. Usually dried and used on journeys, it is very sustaining[74]. Rich in sugars[74], it has a sweet/sour flavour[178]. In Russia a paste made from the fruit is mixed with Actinidia arguta in order to counteract the insufficient acidity of that species[183]. The fruit is about 6mm in diameter and is borne in a grape-like bunch about 10cm long[200]. Young leaves - cooked and used as a vegetable[105, 177, 183].
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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.
Antirheumatic; Antitussive; Aphrodisiac; Astringent; Cancer; Cardiotonic; Cholagogue; Expectorant; Hepatic; Lenitive; Nervine;
Pectoral; Sedative; Stimulant; Tonic.
Wu Wei Zi is commonly used in Chinese herbalism, where it is considered to be one of the 50 fundamental herbs[218]. It is an excellent tonic and restorative, helping in stressful times and increasing zest for life[254]. It is considered to be a substitute for ginseng and is said to be a tonic for both the male and the female sex organs[238]. The fruit is antitussive, aphrodisiac, hepatic, astringent, cardiotonic, cholagogue, expectorant, hypotensive, lenitive, nervine, pectoral, sedative, stimulant and tonic[174, 176, 178, 218]. Low doses of the fruit are said to stimulate the central nervous system whilst large doses depress it[218]. The fruit also regulates the cardiovascular system[218]. It is taken internally in the treatment of dry coughs, asthma, night sweats, urinary disorders, involuntary ejaculation, chronic diarrhoea, palpitations, insomnia, poor memory, hyperacidity, hepatitis and diabetes[238]. Externally, it is used to treat irritating and allergic skin conditions[238]. The fruit is harvested after the first frosts and sun-dried for later use[238]. The fruit contains lignans[254]. These have a pronounced protective action on the liver. In one clinical trial there was a 76% success rate in treating patients with hepatitis, no side effects were noticed[254]. The seed is used in the treatment of cancer[218]. The plant is antirheumatic[218]. A mucilaginous decoction obtained from the branches is useful in the treatment of coughs, dysentery and gonorrhoea[218].
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Other Uses
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Gum; Hair; Size; Wood.
A viscid mucoid material is obtained from the fruit and the branches, it is used as a size for paper and as a hair dressing[178]. The dried wood is charmingly fragrant[11].
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Cultivation details
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Prefers a rich well-drained moisture retentive soil[11, 200]. Prefers a slightly acid soil but tolerates some alkalinity if plenty of organic matter is added to the soil[200]. Requires some protection from the most intense sunlight[200]. Plants succeed in quite deep shade and are suitable for north-facing walls[219]. Plants are intolerant of drought[K]. The fully dormant plant is hardy to about -17°c, though the young growth in spring can be damaged by late frosts. Plants climb by twining around supports. Any pruning is best carried out in the spring[219]. The flowers are sweetly scented[245]. The leaves are also aromatic[245]. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.
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Propagation
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Seed - best sown in the autumn in a cold frame[200, 238]. Pre-soak stored seed for 12 hours in warm water and sow in a greenhouse in the spring[238]. Germination can be slow and erratic. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in light shade in the greenhouse for their first 2 years. Plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8cm with a heel, August in a frame. Overwinter in the greenhouse and plant out in late spring[11, 78]. Good percentage[78]. Layering of long shoots in the autumn[200].
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 You can download this page as a PDF
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Botanical References
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1174266
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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.
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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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[74]Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR.
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An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers.
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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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[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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[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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[183]Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
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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.
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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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[219]Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls
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A nice little book about plants for growing against walls and a small section on plants that can grow in walls.
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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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[245]Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World.
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An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.
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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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Subject : Schisandra chinensis
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