Ligustrum japonicum
| Ligustrum japonicum | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 7 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 16' |
| Width: | 20' |
| Blooms: | Late Summer-Early Fall |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Ligustrum japonicum (common name: japanese privet)
Propagation: The seed does not require any pre-treatment and can be sown in the spring in a cold frame[1]. 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 half-ripe wood, 5 - 10cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Very easy[2].
Cuttings of mature wood, 20 - 30cm in a sheltered outdoor bed in November/December. High percentage[2].
Cultivation: A very tolerant and easily grown plant, it succeeds in any soil that is not impoverished or water-logged[3][4]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Succeeds in sun or semi-shade[5].
Closely related to L. lucidum[3][6].
There are many named varieties selected for their ornamental value[6].
This species is notably resistant to honey fungus[6].
Range: E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea.
Habitat: Woods and thickets in lowland and hills, C. and S. Japan[7].
Edibility: The roasted seed is a coffee substitute[8][9].
Young shoots - cooked. A famine food, used when all else fails[10]. The shoots contain a glycoside and are probably toxic[K].
Medicinal: The fruit is said to be a nutrient tonic[11].
Extracts of the plant show antibacterial, antiulcer and hypotensive activity[11].
Usage: A commercial insect wax is produced on the branches as a result of eggs being laid by insects[3]. Another report says that the wax is produced by the plant due to the stimulation of the feeding insects[8][12]. Yet another report says that the wax is produced by the insects[13]. It is used for candles and as a polish for earthenware pots, book edges etc[13].
The plant can be used as a hedge[3]. It is very amenable to trimming.
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Heavy Clay: Grows in heavy-clay soils.
Known Hazards: Although no reports of toxicity have been seen for this species, at least one member of this genus is recorded as being mildly toxic and it is quite possible that other members of the genus also contain toxins[14].
Links
References
- ↑ Dirr, Michael and Charles Heuser. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press, 1987.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray, 1992.
- ↑ Brickell, Christopher. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Dorling Kindersley Publishers, 1990.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Ohwi, Jisaburo. Flora of Japan. Smithsonian Institution, 1965.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Read, Bernard. Famine Foods Listed in the Chiu Huang Pen Ts'ao. Taipei Southern Materials Centre, 1977.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
- ↑ Vines, Robert. Trees of Central Texas. University of Texas Press, 1987.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Stuart, George. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei Southern Materials Centre.
- ↑ Frohne, Dietrich and Hans Pfänder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Timber Press, 1984.