Common Name:

General Information

Eurya japonica is an evergreen shrub or a small tree that usually grows up to 3 metres tall, though some forms can reach 9 metres or more[]. Trees can reach a height of 12 - 15 metres with a trunk up to 20cm in diameter[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

E. Asia - eastern China, Japan, Korea, northern Vietnam

Habitat

Hill forests in the E. Himalayas, 900 - 1800 metres. Thickets in mountain slopes or valleys; at elevations from 300 - 2,500 metres in southern China[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	3.00 m
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Eurya japonica is native to warm temperate regions with mild winters. It is not very cold-hardy, tolerating occasional temperatures falling to around -4°c, though some shrubby forms exist that are hardier[]. The dwarf form that is grown in Britain is quite cold-hardy once it is established[].
Prefers a moderately fertile free-draining moisture retentive soil in sun or part shade with shelter from cold drying winds[]. Probably best grown in a well-drained lime-free humus-rich soil[].
Plants grow much taller in the milder areas of Britain[].
Protect plants from frost when they are young[].
The flowers are malodorous[]. The trees are pollarded in the Himalayas and the leaves used for leaf manure[].
Dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

Edible Uses

The leaves are used as a tea substitute or to adulterate China tea[].
The young leaves are eaten[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The ashes (of the wood?, leaves?) are used as a dye and as a mordant[].

The brown wood is soft, close grained. It is used mainly as a fuel[, ].
The reddish-brown wood is flexible, quite heavy, fine-grained. It is used for lathe work, the manufacture of stretchers, wheel rims[].

Propagation

Seed - sow as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame or sow in early spring in a greenhouse[]. 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.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 6 - 8cm with a slight heel, mid summer in individual pots in a frame. High percentage[].