Common Name:

General Information

Colutea cilicica is a vigorous, much-branched deciduous shrub that can grow up to 5 metres tall[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental, valued especially for its long summer-flowering display and its novel seedpods.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Europe - Ukraine (Krym), Greece; W. Asia - Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Irag, Kebanon, Syria, Israel

Habitat

Mountain slopes[]. Open oak or pine woods, in phyrgana or macchie and in steppe communities on mountain sides, on lime or serpentine rocks[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	3.00 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Colutea cilicica is fairly cold-hardy, tolerating temperatures down to about -20°c when dormant[, ].
An easily grown plant, it prefers a well-drained soil and a position in full sun, though it tolerates light shade, and can tolerate most soil conditions other than a water-logged soil[, ]. It grows well on dry sunny banks[, ]. It dislikes strong winds, though another report in the same book says that it it is suitable for maritime plantings (with their salt-laden winds)[]. Tolerates atmospheric pollution[, ]. A fast growing plant, thriving on poor soils[, ].
Slugs love the young seedlings[].
A group of plants can be kept to a neat shape and convenient size by pruning back the shoots almost to the old wood every winter[]. The flowers are produced on the current season's growth[, ]. These flowers are very attractive to bees[].
The plant usually produces seed abundantly[].
The most distinctive character of the genus is the large, thin-walled, inflated pod, which, when half ripe, may be made to burst with a miniature report when squeezed[].
This species is very similar to Colutea arborescens, of which it is perhaps only a geographical form[].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[].
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[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The seedpods, sometimes also with the stems and leaves added, is antiinflammatory and vulnerary[].
The fruits, called 'patlak kutnu' in Turkey, have a significant place in Turkish folk medicine. They are usually pounded and mixed with soot from a copper kettle and then applied on inflammatory wounds. Some healers use decoctions of the dried fruiting branches to bathe and heal wounds, especially the abscesses and wounds of children; other healers mix the ash of the plant with vegetable oil to make an ointment that is applied topically[].

The plant contains several medicinally active compounds including flavonoids, triterpenes and alkaloids. There are also essential trace elements, especially zinc and vitamin C, which also influence the process of wound repair[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - pre-soak for 24 hours in hot water and sow late winter in a greenhouse[]. Scarification can help speed up the germination process[]. Germination can be slow and erratic[], though treated seed usually germinates in 1 - 3 months at 20°c[]. As soon as they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7 - 10cm with a heel, mid summer in a frame[]. Cuttings are not very long-lived[].