Common Name:

General Information

Sophora davidii is a deciduous shrub or a small tree with a rounded crown. It usually grows 1 - 2 metres tall, occasionally reaching 3 - 4 metres. Sterile branches are usually spiny at their tip[].
The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a medicine. It is often grown as an ornamental.

Known Hazards

The plant contains cytosine, which resembles nicotine and is similarly toxic[].

Botanical References

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Range

E. Asia - southern and central China (Gansu, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Jiangsu, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang)

Habitat

Dry rocky places and arid valleys, often covering large areas[]. Valley scrub, hill slopes, sandy places in valleys; at elevations up to 3,400 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	2.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Sophora davidii is a moderately cold-hardy plnat, tolerating temperatures down to around -20°c when fully dormant. It requires hot summers if it is to thrive - in areas with cooler summers it requires the extra warmth of a sunny wall if it is to flower well[].
Succeeds in a sunny position in most dry or moist well-drained soils[]. Requires a good loamy soil[]. Grows well on chalk[]. It grows best in the warmer areas of the country where the wood will be more readily ripened and better able to withstand winter cold[].
Plants should be container-grown and planted out whilst young, older plants do not transplant well[].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[].

Edible Uses

Flowers[, ]. No further details are given.

Medicinal

The flowers, roots, leaves and fruits of this species have been traditionally used as folk medicines by local people[]..

The roots are said to clear heat, sooth a sore throat, cool the blood and reduce swelling. They are used to treat sore throat, hematochezia, cough and dysentery[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse[]. Pre-soak stored seed for 12 hours in hot (not boiling) water and sow in late winter in a greenhouse[]. Prick out the seedlings as soon as they are large enough to handle into individual pots in the greenhouse, and grow them on for 2 years under protected conditions. Plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer of their third year.
Cuttings of young shoots with a heel, mid summer in a frame[].
Air-layering[].