Tetrapanax papyrifer
| Tetrapanax papyrifer | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 8 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 16' |
| Width: | 16' |
| Blooms: | Late Summer |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Tetrapanax papyrifer (common name: rice paper plant)
Propagation: Seed - sow autumn in a greenhouse[1]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow on for at least their first year in the greenhouse. Plant out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Consider giving the plants some protection from winter cold for their first few years outdoors[K].
Division of suckers in the early spring. They can be difficult to establish[1]. It is probably best to pot up the divisions and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse until they are well established. Keep them in the greenhouse for their first winter then plant them out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cultivation: Succeeds in any fertile soil[2][1] and in most situations[1]. Prefers a moist but well-drained humus-rich soil in full sun or semi-shade[3]. The plant requires a sheltered position in order to prevent damage to its large leaves[4].
Plants are not very hardy outdoors in Britain and are normally best grown in a cool greenhouse[5], but in selected sites they can tolerate temperatures down to about -5°c[6][1]. They are often cut back to ground level in cold winters but will normally regrow from the rootstock in the spring[1]. The plant can, in fact, become invasive, spreading by means of a vigorous suckering rootstock[1]. Plants are growing well at Menehay in Cornwall[7]. A young specimen was seen at Hilliers Arboretum in April 1999. It had about 3 years of growth above ground and was growing in a sheltered but fairly sunny position with no sign of die-back[K]. Even more established plants can be found growing by a south-facing wall against a greenhouse at Cambridge Botanical Gardens. They had at least 4 years of growth above the ground in spring 1999 and were spreading at the roots[K].
Plants are much cultivated in China for the pith obtained from the stems, which is used to make 'rice paper'[8][9].
A very ornamental plant[1], it is closely related to Fatsia japonica[2].
The flowers are produced in autumn and are often damaged by frosts[2].
Range: E. Asia - China, Taiwan.
Habitat: Hillsides in mixed forests and shrub thickets at elevations of 100 - 2800 metres[10][9]. Subtropical forests[4].
Edibility: Root[11][12]. No more details are given.
Medicinal: The pith is deobstruent, diuretic, febrifuge, galactagogue, sedative and vermifuge[10][13]. It is used in Korea in the treatment of oedema[14].
Usage: The inner pith of the stems is used to make 'rice paper'[5][8][15][16]. It is also used for making toys and flowers, for surgical dressings and for painting on[15]. The paper is made by cutting thin slivers from long sections of the pith[13].
Pollinators: Bees
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Seed Ripens: Mid Fall-Early Winter
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: Aralia papyrifera. Fatsia papyrifera.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Thomas, Graham. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray, 1992.
- ↑ Brickell, Christopher. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Dorling Kindersley Publishers, 1990.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2. Pan Books, London, 1998.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Taylor, Jane. The Milder Garden. Dent, 1990.
- ↑ Thurston, Edgar. Trees and Shrubs in Cornwall. Cambridge University Press, 1930.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Flora of China. 1994.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Revolutionary Health Committee of Hunan Province. A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
- ↑ Medicinal Plants in the Republic of Korea. World Health Organisation, 1998.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Hill, Albert. Economic Botany. The Maple Press, 1952.