Holboellia latifolia
| Holboellia latifolia | |
| Light: |    |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 9 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 13' |
| Blooms: | Early Spring |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Holboellia latifolia
Propagation: Seed - we have no details on this species but suggest sowing the seed as soon as it is ripe if this is possible, otherwise as soon as you obtain it, in a warm greenhouse. 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.
Cuttings of softwood[1].
Cuttings of half-ripe wood in late summer or autumn[2].
Layering.
Cultivation: Easily grown in any fertile soil in sun or part shade[3][4]. Plants grow best on a shady wall or when grown into a tree[4]. They succeed in sun or deep shade, but fruits are much more likely to be produced when the plants are grown in a sunny position[4][5].
Plants are not fully hardy in Britain, they tolerate temperatures down to about -15°c[6] and can be damaged by prolonged periods below -5°c[4]. A plant outdoors between two greenhouse at Cambridge Botanical Gardens was thriving in 1989[K]. Plants thrive in S.W. England[7][8] but do not fruit freely in this country[7]. Plants at Dartington Hall in Devon occasionally produce fruit[7]. Hand pollination would probably help[7][9], fruits are more likely to form in hot summers[9]. There is also some doubt as to whether the plants are monoecious or dioecious, it would be best to grow at least two distinct plants (not cuttings from one plant) and make sure that male and female flowers are present[K]. The flowers are sweetly and heavily scented. The males are produced on the previous years wood whilst females are produced on the current years wood[3].
Plants are fast growing[4] and climb by means of twining[3].
Closely related to H. coriacea[7]. This genus is closely related to Stauntonia spp[4].
Range: E. Asia - Himalayas from India to China.
Habitat: Forests, shrubberies and shady ravines below 4000 metres[10]. Forests, mixed forests by streams or other shady moist sites, forest margins on mountain slopes, along valleys 600 - 3000 m[11].
Edibility: Fruit - raw[10][12][13]. A mealy texture and often considered to be insipid[14][15][16], though it is considered to be very palatable in the Himalayas[17]. The fruit is large[18], purple, sausage-shaped with many black seeds in the white pulp[17].The fruit is up to 10cm long[4].
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Monoecious
Also Known As: Stauntonia latifolia.
Links
References
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Brickell, Christopher. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Dorling Kindersley Publishers, 1990.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Thomas, Graham. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray, 1992.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Grey-Wilson, Christopher and Victoria Matthews. Gardening on Walls. Collins, 1983.
- ↑ Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Shrubs. Pan Books, 1989.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ Thurston, Edgar. Trees and Shrubs in Cornwall. Cambridge University Press, 1930.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Taylor, Jane. The Milder Garden. Dent, 1990.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Polunin, Oleg and Adam Stainton. Flowers of the Himalayas. Oxford Universtiy Press, 1984.
- ↑ Flora of China. 1994.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Manandhar, Narayan. Plants and People of Nepal. Timber Press, 2002.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Gamble, James. A Manual of Indian Timbers. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, 1972.
- ↑ Manandhar, N. Medicinal Plants of Nepal Himalaya. Department of Medicinal Plants, 1993.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.