Common Name:

General Information

Buckleya graebneriana is a deciduous shrub with erect stems; it can grow up to 250cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food. It has long been pickled and sold in markets as a condiment[]

Known Hazards

The young leaves and the bark are reported to be poisonous and irritating to the skin[]

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - eastern China (Gansu, Henan, Shaanxi)

Habitat

Mixed mesic to deciduous forests; at elevations from 700 - 1,800 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	2.00 m
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Buckleya graebneriana
This species is hemiparasitic on the roots of other trees. It requires a well-drained but moisture-retentive lime-free soil and should be plants close to the roots of a suitable host plant[].
Species of Buckleya form haustoria on a variety of hosts, including Taxus, Pinus, Chamaecyparis, Abies, Cryptomeria, and some hardwoods, both in nature and also in cultivation[].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[].

Edible Uses

The young leaves are used as a vegetable[]. Some caution should be exercised here, see the notes above on potential hazards[].

The fruit, which contains starch, is used as an oil or a food source, and in making wine[]. The fruits have long been pickled and sold as a condiment[]. The orange, ellipsoid fruit is around 10 - 15 x 6 - 8mm[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - stratify for 3 months at 5°c and sow into a pot already containing a young specimen of a suitable host tree. Plant out by the roots of a suitable host tree once the Buckleya is growing well and then remove the nurse tree when it is clear that the Buckleya is well established on the roots of its new host[].