Common Name:

General Information

Laportea bulbifera is a herbaceous perennial plant though the stems can become somewhat woody near the base; it produces a clump of stems around 50 - 150cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials.

Known Hazards

The leaves have stinging hairs, much like stinging nettles (Urtica species) to which they are related[].

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia -India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, southern and eastern China, Russian Far East, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia (Java).

Habitat

Woods in mountains all over Japan[]. Forest margins, thickets, roadsides, often partly shady, moist
places; at elevations from 700 - 3,500 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	1.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

We have very little information on this plant and do not know how hardy it is, but it is succeeding outdoors at Kew on the sheltered sunny side of a woodland garden[].
It should succeed in most soils in semi-shade.
Plants are usually momoecious, though dioecious forms are also known[].

Edible Uses

Young leaves - cooked[, , , ]. Very nutritious, they are used like spinach. Some caution should be observed when harvesting this plant since the raw leaves have stinging hairs. It is perfectly safe to eat the leaves when they are cooked, however, since heat completely destroys the sting[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

A fibre is obtained from the stem, it is used for making nets, cordage etc[]. Up to 50 times stronger than cotton.

Propagation

Seed - sow spring 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 their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Division in spring. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.