Gymnocladus chinensis
| Gymnocladus chinensis | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 9 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Cross Pollinated | |
| Height: | 39' |
| Speed: | Slow |
| Blooms: | Mid Spring |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Nitrogen Fixer | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Gymnocladus chinensis (common name: soap tree)
Propagation: Seed - best sown in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe[1]. The seed can also be sown in early spring in a greenhouse[2]. Scarification and pre-soaking the seed for 24 hours in warm water, especially if it has been stored, will improve germination[1]. Make sure the seed has swollen after soaking, soak it again if it has not and, if it still does not swell, try filing away some of the seedcoat but be careful not to damage the embryo. As soon as they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into fairly deep 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 them some protection against the cold for their first couple of winters outdoors
Root cuttings 4cm long and 1cm thick in a greenhouse in December[1]. Plant the roots horizontally in pots[2]. Good percentage.
Cultivation: Requires a deep rich well-drained moisture retentive soil and a sunny position[3][1].
A very ornamental plant, it is only hardy in the mildest areas of Britain[3] tolerating temperatures down to about to -5°c[1]. It rarely flowers in Britain, requiring more summer heat than it usually gets here.
The tree has a light canopy so does not cast much shade and is therefore a good species for the top canopy of a woodland garden.
Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots 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]. At least some members of this genus do not have these nitrogen-producing bacteria on the roots[4].
Range: E. Asia - China.
Habitat: Plains and foothills to 1200 metres[5].
Edibility: Seed - cooked[6][7].
Usage: The fruit is high in saponins and is used as a soap for washing fabrics and the body[3][8][9].
Wood - hard, durable, finishes to a fine lustre. It is used for cabinet making[10].
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Mid Fall
Flower Type: Dioecious
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Diggs, George and Barney Lipscomb. Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas. Botanical Research Institute, 1999.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Elias, Thomas. The Complete Trees of North America. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1980.