Common Name: Leather Wood

General Information

Dirca palustris is an erect, deciduous shrub that usually grows around 90 - 180cm tall but can reach 300cm[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of a strong flexible stem that is often used as a tying material and in basketry. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental[].

Known Hazards

Contact with the plant can cause severe dermatitis with redness, blistering and sores in some people[, ].
The fruits are mildly poisonous to mammals, causing vomiting and diarrhoea[, ].

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Eastern and central N. America - Ontario to Quebec, south to Louisiana and Florida

Habitat

Rich deciduous or mixed woods[] in moist situations, often on calcareous soils; at elevations up to 1,500 metres[, ].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	1.80 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Dirca palustris is a very cold-hardy plant, being able to tolerate temperatures down to around -30°c when fully dormant. The flowers are produced in early spring, however, and are very likely to be damaged when the plant is grown in regions with late frosts[].
Thrives in a moist peaty soil[, ] and a sheltered position[]. Prefers a reasonably moist humus-rich limy soil according to another report[].
The flowers have a soft sweet perfume[].
The species Dirca occidentalis A.Gray. is very closely related to this plant[], so it might have the same uses[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

Leatherwood was employed medicinally by a number of native North American tribes who used it to treat a wide variety of ailments[]. It is little used in modern herbalism and any use should be carried out with caution since even minute doses can cause salivation and burning of the tongue[].

A tea made from the bark is laxative[]. Another report says that it is purgative and emetic, and can produce violent vomiting[, ].

An infusion of the roots has been used in the treatment of pulmonary problems[].

A decoction of the branches has been applied as a poultice to swellings on the limbs[].

The plant is a folk remedy for toothaches, facial neuralgia and paralysis of the tongue, venereal disease, and has also been used to try and induce pregnancy[, ].

Other Uses

The tough flexible bark and the shoots are used in basket making and as a tying material[, , , , , ].
A rope can be made from the bark fibres[, , , ]. The bark fibres are also used in making paper[]. The stems are harvested in summer, the leaves are removed and the stems steamed until the fibres can be stripped. The outer and inner barks are separated by scraping or peeling. The fibres are cooked for 2 hours or less with soda ash and then beaten with mallets or put through a blender. The paper is greenish cream in colour[].

A compound infusion of the roots has been used as a wash to strengthen the hair and make it grow[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe[]. Remove the fruit flesh since this can inhibit germination[]. Dried seed will require 2 - 3 months cold stratification[]. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 6 months at 15°c[]. 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.
Layering.