Sophora sericea
| Sophora sericea | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 1' |
| Native to: | |
| Nitrogen Fixer | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Sophora sericea (common name: silky sophora)
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse[1]. Pre-soak stored seed for 12 hours in hot (not boiling) water and sow in late winter in a greenhouse[2]. Prick out the seedlings as soon as they are large enough to handle into individual pots in the greenhouse, and grow them on for 2 years under protected conditions. Plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer of their third year.
Cuttings of young shoots with a heel, July/August in a frame[3].
Air-layering[1].
Cultivation: We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will succeed in Britain, though judging by its native range it might succeed outdoors in the milder parts of the country. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus.
Succeeds in a well-drained moderately fertile soil in full sun[1]. It grows best in the warmer areas of the country where the wood will be more readily ripened and better able to withstand winter cold[4].
Plants should be container-grown and planted out whilst young, older plants do not transplant well[4].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[1].
Range: South-western N. America - South Dakota, Nebraska and Wyoming, south to Texas, Arizona and Mexico.
Habitat: Prairies and dry hills[5].
Edibility: Root - raw[6][7]. A sweet flavour, it is chewed as a delicacy[8][9].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: The plant contains cytosine, which resembles nicotine and is similarly toxic[10]. The seed is poisonous[11].
Also Known As: S. nuttalliana. B.L.Turner.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Grey-Wilson, Christopher and Victoria Matthews. Gardening on Walls. Collins, 1983.
- ↑ Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ Vines, Robert. Trees of Central Texas. University of Texas Press, 1987.