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Common Name:

General Information

Platycarya strobilacea is a deciduous tree that can grow up to 12.00 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

E. Asia - China, Korea.

Habitat

Thickets and woods from sea level to 1300 metres[]. Mixed forests on mountain slopes, sometimes on limestone, at elevations of 400 - 2,200 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	12.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a deep moist humus-rich loam and a sunny sheltered position[].
Trees are hardy to about -12°c in Britain[], but they are not usually a success in our climate[], preferring a warm dry continental climate[]. A tree in Hampshire is growing and fruiting well[]. A tree at Kew flowered heavily in the hot summer of 1989[].

Edible Uses

Young leaves - cooked[]. A famine food, only used when all else fails[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

A black dye is obtained from the fruits. It is used for dyeing cloth[, , ].
A black dye is obtained from the bark. It is used for dyeing nets[, ]. (It quite possibly contains tannin which will also help to preserve the nets[].)
The root is very fragrant when it is burnt. It is used in baths[].
The wood is a good fuel[].

Propagation

The seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Stored seed requires a period of cold stratification[]. 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. Consider giving the plants some protection from the cold for at least their first winter outdoors.
Layering[].