Common Name:

General Information

Streptopus streptopoides is an erect, herbaceous perennial plant producing a cluster of unbranched stems from a slender, creeping rhizome; it can grow 10 - 30cm tall[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

E. Asia - eastern Siberia, ussian Far East, northern Japan; Western N. America - Alaska to Oregon and Idaho

Habitat

Dense, damp coniferous forests; at elevations up to 1,600 metres[, ]. Moist woods, river banks and alder thickets[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.15 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Streptopus streptopoides is cold-hardy to at least -20°c.Requires a cool leafy soil in shade or partial shade[]. Thrives in a moist light soil containing organic matter[].

Edible Uses

Young leaves and shoots - raw or cooked. A cucumber flavour[].

Fruit - raw or cooked. A watermelon flavour[]. The orange-red berries are about 6mm in diameter[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe in the summer[]. Sow stored seed in a cold frame as soon as it is received. The seed, especially if it has been stored, can be very slow to germinate, sometimes taking 18 months or more. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots once they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a shady part of the greenhouse or cold frame. It will normally take 2 or more growing seasons before the roots are large enough to plant out - this is best done when the plant is dormant in the autumn.
Division as the plant comes into growth in early spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is best to pot up smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame for their first year, planting them out in the following spring.