Clinopodium chinense
| Clinopodium chinense | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 7 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Late Summer-Early Fall |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Clinopodium chinense
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. Only just cover the seed. Germination usually takes place within 2 weeks at 21°c. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse. Plant them out in the summer if they have made sufficient growth, otherwise plant them out in late spring or early summer of the following year.
Division in spring. Larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer or following spring.
Cuttings of soft wood in May or June.
Cultivation: Succeeds in almost any well-drained soil[1].
A polymorphic species[2].
Plants are best grown in a rock garden[1].
Range: E. Asia - China, Japan.
Habitat: Woods and thickets in hills and low mountains all over Japan[2]. Sunny meadows from the lowlands to elevations of 1500 metres in Japan[3].
Edibility: Young leaves - cooked[4][5].
A sweet and aromatic herb tea is made from the leaves[6].
Pollinators: Bees, insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Early Fall-Mid Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: Calamintha chinensis. Benth.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Ohwi, Jisaburo. Flora of Japan. Smithsonian Institution, 1965.
- ↑ Flora of Japan.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.