Lycium ruthenicum
| Lycium ruthenicum | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 6 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 7' |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Lycium ruthenicum
Propagation: Seed - sow early spring in a greenhouse. Germination is usually good and fairly quick. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer. Pinch out the shoot tips of the young plants in order to encourage bushy growth[1].
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 10cm with a heel if possible, July/August in individual pots in a frame. Good percentage[1].
Cuttings of mature wood of the current season's growth, autumn to late winter in a cold frame. High percentage[1][2].
Division of suckers in late winter. Very easy, the suckers can be planted out direct into their permanent positions.
Layering.
Cultivation: Does not require a rich soil, flowering and fruiting better in a well-drained soil of moderate quality[3]. Succeeds in impoverished and saline soils[2][4]. Requires a sunny position[2]. Tolerates maritime exposure[2] and drought[4].
Range: E. Asia - Himalayas.
Habitat: Higher inner Himalayas, 1800 - 3900 metres[5]. Saline deserts and sands, roadsides at elevations of 400 - 3,000 metres in western China[4].
Edibility: Fruit - raw or cooked[5][6]. Only the fully ripe fruits should be eaten[K].
Medicinal: The plant is used as an ointment to treat blindness in camels[7].
The fruit of many members of this genus is a very rich source of vitamins and minerals, especially in vitamins A, C and E, flavanoids and other bio-active compounds. It is also a fairly good source of essential fatty acids, which is fairly unusual for a fruit. It is being investigated as a food that is capable of reducing the incidence of cancer and also as a means of halting or reversing the growth of cancers[8].
Usage: Plants are very drought tolerant and have an extensive root system. They can be planted to stabilize banks and sandy soils[2][4].
Pollinators: Bees
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Wind: Tolerates maritime wind exposure
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: Although no records of toxicity have been seen for this species, it does belong to a family that contains many poisonous plants. Some caution should be applied, especially towards leaves or unripe fruits, though ripe fruits are almost certainly edible.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Flora of China. 1994.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Gamble, James. A Manual of Indian Timbers. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, 1972.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Chopra, R. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, 1986.
- ↑ Matthews, Victoria. The New Plantsman Volume 1. Royal Horticultural Society, 1994.