Cercocarpus ledifolius
| Cercocarpus ledifolius | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 6 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 26' |
| Speed: | Slow |
| Native to: | |
| Nitrogen Fixer | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Cercocarpus ledifolius (common name: mountain mahogany)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame[1].
Cultivation: Requires a position in full sun in a perfectly draining soil[1]. Succeeds in dry soils. Tolerates maritime exposure[1].
Some forms of this species are hardy to about -17°c[1].
A slow-growing tree or large shrub, it is not a true evergreen, but its leaves persist over winter and do not fall until after the new leaves are growing[2].
Some members of this genus have a symbiotic relationship with certain soil micro-organisms, these form nodules on the roots of the plants and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[1].
Range: Western N. America - Washington to California, west to Wyoming, Arizona and New Mexico.
Habitat: Dry gravelly arid slopes in the mountain ranges of the interior regions, 1500 - 2700 metres[3][2].
Edibility: The scraped bark makes a flavourful addition to a brew of Mormon tea[4].
Medicinal: Mountain mahogany was employed medicinally by a number of native North American Indian tribes who used it to treat a variety of complaints[5]. It is virtually not used in modern herbalism.
The bark is antihaemorrhagic, cardiac, stomachic and tonic[5]. A decoction has been used in the treatment of coughs and colds, pneumonia, spitting up of blood, stomach aches, diarrhoea (including for children), tuberculosis and VD[5].
A poultice of the green powdered wood has been applied to sores, cuts, wounds and burns[5]. It has also been sprinkled on syphilitic sores[5].
An exudation from the plant has been dried, ground into a powder and applied to the ear to treat earaches[5].
Usage: A red dye is obtained from the inner bark[5].
The wood is extremely hard and so dense that it will not float in water[2]. It is also brittle[3]. It makes an excellent fuel, giving off intense heat whilst burning for a long time[2]. It is occasionally used in the manufacture of small articles for domestic and industrial use[3].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Wind: Tolerates maritime wind exposure
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Elias, Thomas. The Complete Trees of North America. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1980.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Sargent, Charles. Manual of the Trees of North America. Dover, 1965.
- ↑ Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.