Firmiana simplex
| Firmiana simplex | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 9 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 49' |
| Width: | 33' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Firmiana simplex (common name: chinese parasol tree)
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a warm greenhouse[1]. The stored seed can be sown in the early spring in a greenhouse[2] and usually germinates within 2 months[K]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the 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. Consider giving the plants some protection from the cold for at least their first winter outdoors.
Cultivation: Prefers a good sandy loam[2]. Requires a well-drained but moisture-retentive fertile soil in full sun or light shade[3].
Plants are not very hardy in Britain, they succeed outdoors in the mildest parts of the country[4][5], though they do not reach tree-size[3].
Trees cast a heavy shade[6].
Range: E. Asia - China.
Habitat: Along the sides of roads at low altitudes[7].
Edibility: Seed - roasted[8][9]. An oily texture[6].
Medicinal: Astringent, salve[6].
The seed is antiphlogistic, expectorant and refrigerant[10].
A decoction of the roots is used to reduce swellings[10].
A lotion of the leaves is used in the treatment of carbuncles, haemorrhoids and sores[10].
Usage: A fibre is obtained by retting the bark[11][12]. It is used for coarse cordage[7] and cloth[6].
A hair wash is made from the leaves and fibre[6].
Wood. Used for making furniture and coffins[11][12][6].
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Flower Type: Monoecious
Also Known As: F. platinifolia. Hibiscus simplex. Sterculia mariesii. S. platinifolia.
Links
References
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Brickell, Christopher. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Dorling Kindersley Publishers, 1990.
- ↑ Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ Taylor, Jane. The Milder Garden. Dent, 1990.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Stuart, George. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei Southern Materials Centre.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Wilson, Ernest and Charles Sargent. Plantae Wilsonianae.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.