Edgeworthia gardneri
| Edgeworthia gardneri | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 8 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 7' |
| Blooms: | Late Winter-Mid Spring |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Edgeworthia gardneri (common name: nepalese paper bush)
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Place the pot in a plastic bag to keep it moist[1]. The seed might germinate in the spring, though it could take another 12 months. Stored seed usually requires 8 - 12 weeks warm stratification at 20°c followed by 12 - 14 weeks at 3°c[1]. Germination can still take 12 months or more at 15°c[1]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle, and grow on in a greenhouse for at least a year before planting out in late spring or early summer[1]. Consider giving the plants some protection from the cold for their first winter outdoors.
Cuttings in spring.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame[2].
Cultivation: Succeeds in any soil in sun or part shade, growing well in light woodland. Prefers a well-drained soil with plenty of moisture in the growing season.
Very closely related to and scarcely distinct from E. chrysantha and E. papyrifera[2]. This species is more tender than E. chrysantha[3]. It is reliably hardy to about -5°c, but it can tolerate temperatures down to -15°c if growing in a well-drained soil in a sheltered position[2]. The flowers are damaged by frost so the plant is best grown on a south or west-facing wall[4].
Plants resent root disturbance and should be put into their permanent positions as soon as possible[4].
This species is cultivated in the Himalayas for the paper that can be made from the bark[5]. The stems are harvested every second year for this purpose[6].
The flowers diffuse a pronounced clove-like perfume and will scent the air to some distance on a calm day[7].
Range: E. Asia - S. China to the E. Himalayas.
Habitat: Forests and shrubberies to 3000 metres[8].
Usage: A high-class paper is made from the bark[5][8][9]. The bark fibres are used. This species is said to be the best of the various species that are used to make hand made paper in the Himalayas[10].
The stems are extremely supple and can be tied in knots[3].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: Daphne gardneri.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Bird, Alfred. Focus on Plants Volume 5. Thompson and Morgan, 1991.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Brickell, Christopher. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Dorling Kindersley Publishers, 1990.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Polunin, Oleg and Adam Stainton. Flowers of the Himalayas. Oxford Universtiy Press, 1984.
- ↑ Manandhar, Narayan. Plants and People of Nepal. Timber Press, 2002.
- ↑ Gamble, James. A Manual of Indian Timbers. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, 1972.