Smilax hispida
| Smilax hispida | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 5 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Cross Pollinated | |
| Height: | 49' |
| Blooms: | Early Summer |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Smilax hispida (common name: hag briar)
Propagation: Seed - sow March in a warm greenhouse[1]. This note probably refers to the tropical members of the genus, seeds of plants from cooler areas seem to require a period of cold stratification, some species taking 2 or more years to germinate[K]. We sow the seed of temperate species in a cold frame as soon as we receive it, and would sow the seed as soon as it is ripe if we could obtain it then[K]. When the seedlings eventually germinate, prick them out into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first year, though we normally grow them on in pots for 2 years. Plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer.
Division in early spring as new growth begins[2]. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.
Cuttings of half-ripe shoots, July in a frame[2].
Cultivation: Succeeds in most soils in sun or semi-shade[3].
Plants are hardy to about -15°c[3].
A very ornamental plant[1], it thrives in Britain[4].
Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.
Range: Eastern and Central N. America - Connecticut to Ontario, Minnesota, Nebraska, N. Carolina and Texas.
Habitat: Rich, often calcareous, soils in woods, thickets and bottoms[5].
Edibility: Leaves and young shoots - raw or cooked[6].
Root - cooked. It can be dried, ground into a powder and then used with cereals for making bread etc[7][8][6]. It can also be used as a gelatine substitute[7][8][6].
Medicinal: The stem prickles have been rubbed on the skin as a counter-irritant to relieve localised pains, muscle cramps and twitching[9].
A tea made from the leaves and stems has been used in the treatment of rheumatism and stomach problems[9].
The wilted leaves are applied as a poultice to boils[9].
A tea made from the roots is used to help the expelling of afterbirth[9]. Reports that the roots contain the hormone testosterone have not been confirmed, they might contain steroid precursors, however[9].
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Flower Type: Dioecious
Also Known As: S. tamnoides hispida.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Kavasch, Barrie. Native Harvests. Vintage Books, 1979.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Elias, Thomas. A Field Guide to North American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1982.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Foster, Steven and Billy Tatum. Medicinal Plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.