Common Name:

General Information

Eleutherococcus trifoliatus is a prickly, upright to scrambling or climbing, deciduous shrub that can grow up to 7 metres tall.
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. The plant is traditionally cultivated as a vegetable in Tai villages of southern Yunnan, and is grown as a medicinal plant in Vietnam[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

E. Asia - central Himalayas (Nepal to northeast India), southeastern China, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines

Habitat

Scrub fields, roadsides, forest margins, in valleys or on mountain slopes; at elevations up to 1,000 metres in the east of its range, to 3,200 metres in the west[]. Mountainous areas in Vietnam, occasionally on the edges of forests[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	6.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Eleutherococcus trifoliatus has a wide climatic range, being found at elevations up to 3,100 metres in the Himalayas where it can tolerate temperatures falling to around -10 to -15°c, through to the tropics of the Philippines[].
Prefers a light warm open loamy humus-rich soil and a position sheltered from north and east winds.[, , ] Prefers a well-drained soil and full sun[]. Tolerates urban pollution and poor soils[].
All parts of the plant are particularly fragrant[].

Edible Uses

Young leaves - cooked[, ]. A traditional vegetable in parts of china[].

Medicinal

The root bark and stem bark are used in the treatment of coughs and colds, neuralgia, rheumatism, lumbago, ostealgia and impotence[, ]. The bark is also considered to be a stimulant and tonic for the central nervous system and to improve the memory[].
The bark is collected in the summer and autumn, wrapped to bring out the aroma and then thoroughly dried[].

The root bark and stem bark contain triterpenoid saponinsand oleanolic acid[]

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame[]. It can be slow to germinate. Stored seed requires 6 months warm followed by 3 months cold stratification[] and can be very slow to germinate[]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse for at least the first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, mid summer in a frame[, ].
Cuttings of ripe wood of the current season's growth, 15 - 30cm long in a cold frame[].
Root cuttings in late winter[].
Division of suckers in the dormant season[].