Castanopsis orthacantha
| Castanopsis orthacantha | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 8 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-7.3 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 66' |
| Blooms: | Late Spring-Early Summer |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Castanopsis orthacantha
Propagation: Seed - requires a period of cold stratification and is best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[1]. The seed has a short viability and should not be allowed to dry out. It can be stored for a few months if kept cool and moist (putting it in a plastic bag that is placed in the salad compartment of a fridge works well). Stored seed should be soaked in warm water for 24 - 48 hours prior to sowing[1]. Germination usually takes place within 1 - 3 months at 15°c[1]. As soon as they are large enough to handle, prick out the seedlings into individual pots and plant them out in mid summer if possible, otherwise grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter and plant them out in late spring. Give the young plants some protection from cold for their first few winters outdoors.
Cultivation: Prefers a good deep medium to stiff loam[2]. Requires a sheltered position in semi-shade and a lime-free soil[1].
Although cold hardy in much of Britain, tolerating temperatures down to about -10°c, this species really requires a warm continental climate if it is to prosper and it does not do well in the maritime climate of this country[3].
The seed takes two growing seasons from fertilization to maturity[4]. The catkins have an unpleasant hawthorn-like smell to attract midges for their pollination[5].
Range: E. Asia - S.W. China.
Habitat: Mixed and broad-leaved evergreen forests; 1500-3200 metres in W Guizhou, SW Sichuan, Yunnan[4].
Edibility: Seed - raw or cooked[6]. The seed, which is up to 15mm in diameter, takes about 18 months to ripen[4].
Pollinators: Wind, midges
Soil: Can grow in medium and heavy soils.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Seed Ripens: Mid Fall-Late Fall
Flower Type: Monoecious
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Bird, R. Growing from Seed Volume 3. Thompson and Morgan, 1989.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Flora of China. 1994.
- ↑ Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.