Common Name: Taka-No-Tsume

General Information

Gamblea innovans is a deciduous shrub or a tree that can grow up to 6 metres tall.
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

E. Asia - Japan

Habitat

Common in hills and mountains all over Japan[, ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	6.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Gamblea innovans is a moderately cold-hardy plant, being able to tolerate temperatures down to around -10 and -15°c when fully dormant[].
Prefers a humus-rich well-drained soil in full sun[]. Tolerates poor soils and atmospheric pollution[]. Requires shelter from cold north and east winds[].

Edible Uses

Young leaves - cooked. A famine food, it is only used in times of scarcity[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame or greenhouse[]. Sow stored seed in late winter in a cold frame. 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, mid summer in a frame[].
Root cuttings in late winter in a greenhouse[].
Division of suckers in the dormant season[].