Common Name:

General Information

Clerodendrum japonicum is a deciduous shrub growing 1 - 4 metres tall[].
The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. It is sometimes cultivated locally for medicinal use[] and is grown as an ornamental in gardens[]. It can also be used as a pioneer plant when restoring native habitats[].
Clerodendrum japonicum has a very wide distribution, large population, is not currently experiencing any major
threats and no significant future threats have been identified. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2018)[].
The plant has has escaped from cultivation in Hawaii and become naturalized in some areas. It has been listed there as 'Invasive'[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

E. Asia - southern China, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines.

Habitat

Thickets in valleys, along streams and in grassy openings; at elevations from 100 - 1,200 metres[]. Moist gullies and shady places; at elevations up to 1,600 metres in Nepal[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	2.50 m
Pollinators	Lepidoptera, Bees
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Clerodendrum japonicum grows wild from the warm temperate zone to the tropics od eastern Asia. It is not a very cold-hardy plant, being able to tolerate short periods where temperatures fall to around -3°c.
Succeeds in a sunny position in ordinary garden soil[, ] but prefers a fertile humus-rich well-drained soil[, ]. The soil must not be allowed to dry out in the growing season[]. Requires a position sheltered from cold drying winds[, ].
A very ornamental plant[].
Flowers are produced on the current seasons growth and so, to encourage flowering, any pruning is best carried out when the plant is dormant[].

Edible Uses

Flowers[]. They are evil-smelling[].

The leaves are also probably used[]. Young leaves and shoots - cooked as a vegetable or pickled[]. The leaves of species in this genus usually have a bitter flavour and are often eaten at least as much for their tonic affect upon the digestive system as for any appeal to the taste buds[].

Medicinal

A decoction of the inflorescence is used in the treatment of gonorrhoea, haematochezia and nosebleed[].
The floral bracts are chewed as a treatment for haematuria and are applied as a poultice to painful joints[].

The leaves are antibacterial, antiinflammatory, diuretic[, ]. A decoction is used in the treatment of a range of conditions including blenorrhoea, leucorrhea, metritis, menstrual disorders, jaundice, furunculosis, impetigo, anthralgia, osteodynia, lumbago and hypertension[]. An infusion of the leaves is used as a tonic during pregnancy[, , ] (As Clerodendrum bethuneanum)
The leaves are applied topically to boils[]. Juice from the leaves is an ingredient of a herbal bath for children with furuncles[]. A poultice of the pounded fresh leaves, and also washing with the leaf juice, are used for healing wounds, burns, boils and impetigo[, ].

The root is said to have been used successfully in the treatment of jaundice[, ].
Root decoction is prescribed in chest complaints[].

Agroforestry Uses:

This species is an early successional colonizer of degraded land and could be used for habitat restoration[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as possible in a greenhouse. Germination can be erratic but usually takes place within 20 - 60 days at 20°c[]. When 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 in late spring or early summer after the last expected frosts.
Root cuttings, 6 - 8cm long, December in a greenhouse. High percentage[].
Division of suckers in the dormant season. Very easy, they can be planted out direct into their permanent positions if required.