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Common Name: Silkworm Thorn

General Information

Cudrania tricuspidata is a deciduous tree that can grow up to 6.00 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

E. Asia - China, Japan and Korea.

Habitat

Rocky slopes and roadsides in W. China[]. Sunny forest margins and mountain slopes at elevations of 500 - 2200 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	6.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a warm well-drained fertile loam[, ]. Requires a sunny position[].
A very hardy plant[].
The leaves are a food source for silk-worms[, ].
Probably only the male tree is in cultivation in Britain, though at least one selected female form is being grown in N. America[]. Both male and female plants normally need to be grown if fruit or seed is required but male trees occasionally produce a few small fruits[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - fresh or preserved[, , ]. Somewhat like a mulberry[]. The firm fruit is relatively tasteless, when soft-ripe it is sub-acid to sweet and some forms can be quite delicious[, , , , ]. It contains lots of large seeds[]. The fruit is about 25mm in diameter[].
Leaves - a famine food[].

Medicinal

An infusion of the wood is used to treat sore or weak eyes[, ].
The inner bark and the wood are used in the treatment of malaria, debility and menorrhagia[, ].
The root is galactogogue and is also used in the treatment of amenorrhoea[].
The plant is used to eliminate blood stasis and stimulate the circulation in cancer of the alimentary system, blood and lungs[].

Other Uses

A yellow dye is obtained from the wood[].
The bark fibers are used for making paper[].
Wood - finely grained. Used for utensils[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[]. Sow stored seed in early spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, mid summer in a frame[, ].
Cuttings of mature wood, late autumn in a sandy soil in a frame[].