Rubus ichangensis
| Rubus ichangensis | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 7 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 1' |
| Width: | 10' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Rubus ichangensis
Propagation: Seed - requires stratification and is best sown in early autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed requires one month stratification at about 3°c and is best sown as early as possible in the year. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and grow on in a cold frame. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring of the following year.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame[1].
Tip layering in July. Plant out in autumn.
Division in early spring or just before leaf-fall in the autumn[1].
Cultivation: Easily grown in a good well-drained loamy soil in sun or semi-shade[2][3][1]. Plants are not very happy in windy situations, especially if the winds are maritime[K].
The young growth in spring can be damaged by late frosts.
Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[1].
Range: E. Asia - C. and W. China.
Habitat: Thickets and ravines to 1800 metres[4]. Slopes, fallow fields, dense forests in valleys and thickets at elevations of 800 - 2500 metres[5].
Edibility: Fruit - raw or cooked[6][7]. Small, red, sweet and well flavoured[2][3][8][9][5]. The red fruit is 6 - 8mm in diameter[5].
Medicinal: The root is ised in medicine[5]. We have no further information, but the root is a good source of tannins and so is likely to be used as an astringent[K].
Usage: A purple to dull blue dye is obtained from the fruit[10].
Tannin is extracted from the roots and stems[5].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Early Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 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 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ Wilson, Ernest and Charles Sargent. Plantae Wilsonianae.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Flora of China. 1994.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Grae, Ida. Nature's Colors. MacMillan Publishing, 1974.