Styrax officinalis
L.
Styracaceae
The Temperate Database is in the process of being updated, with new records being added and old ones being checked and brought up to date where necessary. This record has not yet been checked and updated.
Common Name: Storax Tree
General Information
Styrax officinalis is a deciduous shrub that can grow up to 5.00 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
11- Title
- Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Bean. W.
- Publisher
- Murray
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
,
45- Title
- Flowers of Greece and the Balkans.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Polunin. O.
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Year
- 1980
- ISBN
- 0-19-217626-9
- Description
- A good pocket flora, it also lists quite a few plant uses.
,
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Range
Europe - E. Mediterranean.
Habitat
Dry rocky slopes, often on limestone, to 1500 metres[
182- Title
- Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Thomas. G. S.
- Publisher
- Murray
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-7195-5043-2
- Description
- Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.
]. Woods and thickets, also by streams[
45- Title
- Flowers of Greece and the Balkans.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Polunin. O.
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Year
- 1980
- ISBN
- 0-19-217626-9
- Description
- A good pocket flora, it also lists quite a few plant uses.
].
Properties
Edibility Rating |  |
Medicinal Rating |  |
Habit | Deciduous Shrub |
Height | 5.00 m |
Growth Rate | Slow |
Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Requires a light lime-free soil in sun or semi-shade[
11- Title
- Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Bean. W.
- Publisher
- Murray
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
,
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. If planted out when young into a planting hole that has been filled with a light lime-free soil the plants will successfully grow into the surrounding soil[
11- Title
- Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Bean. W.
- Publisher
- Murray
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
]. Prefers a warm sheltered position with protection from the morning sun[
11- Title
- Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Bean. W.
- Publisher
- Murray
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
]. Dislikes wet soils. Established plants are drought tolerant, they grow better in Britain when the summer is dry.
This species is not very hardy outdoors in Britain. Dormant plants tolerate temperatures down to about -5°c[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
] but the young growth is liable to be damaged by late frosts[
11- Title
- Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Bean. W.
- Publisher
- Murray
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
]. Succeeds in the milder parts of the country[
1- Title
- RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
- Publication
-
- Author
- F. Chittendon.
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Year
- 1951
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
]. Plants were growing and fruiting well on a west-facing wall at Kew in 1992[
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
Plants do not flower freely unless in a warm sunny spot or on a south facing wall[
182- Title
- Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Thomas. G. S.
- Publisher
- Murray
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-7195-5043-2
- Description
- Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.
]. The flowers are very fragrant[
219- Title
- Gardening on Walls
- Publication
-
- Author
- Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V.
- Publisher
- Collins
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- 0-00-219220-0
- Description
- A nice little book about plants for growing against walls and a small section on plants that can grow in walls.
].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Edible Uses
A highly perfumed balsamic gum is obtained from the branches and stems[
183- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
]. It is occasionally used as a condiment[
183- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
]. This gum is almost certainly the resin described below[
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
Medicinal
A resin obtained from the stems of the plant is antiseptic and expectorant[
11- Title
- Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Bean. W.
- Publisher
- Murray
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
,
103- Title
- Flowering Plants of the World.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Haywood. V. H.
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Year
-
- ISBN
- 0-19-217674-9
- Description
- Very readable and well illustrated, it lists plants by families giving the basic diagnostic features and some details of plant uses.
,
240- Title
- Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement).
- Publication
-
- Author
- Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C.
- Publisher
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi.
- Year
- 1986
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
].
Other Uses
The fragrant resin 'storax' is obtained by wounding the stem[
64- Title
- Vegetable Gums and Resins.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Howes. F. N.
- Publisher
- Faber
- Year
-
- ISBN
- 81-88818-17-8
- Description
- A very good book dealing with the subject in a readable way.
,
89- Title
- Flowers of the Mediterranean.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Polunin. O. and Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- Hogarth Press
- Year
- 1987
- ISBN
- 0-7012-0784-1
- Description
- A very readable pocket flora that is well illustrated. Gives some information on plant uses.
]. It is used medicinally, in perfumes, incense etc[
11- Title
- Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Bean. W.
- Publisher
- Murray
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
,
148- Title
- Herbs of Greece.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Niebuhr. A. D.
- Publisher
- Herb Society of America.
- Year
- 1970
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A pleasant little book about Greek herbs.
].
The fruits are used as beads in rosaries etc[
89- Title
- Flowers of the Mediterranean.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Polunin. O. and Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- Hogarth Press
- Year
- 1987
- ISBN
- 0-7012-0784-1
- Description
- A very readable pocket flora that is well illustrated. Gives some information on plant uses.
,
148- Title
- Herbs of Greece.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Niebuhr. A. D.
- Publisher
- Herb Society of America.
- Year
- 1970
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A pleasant little book about Greek herbs.
,
182- Title
- Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Thomas. G. S.
- Publisher
- Murray
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-7195-5043-2
- Description
- Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.
].
Propagation
Seed - requires stratification and is best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe[
11- Title
- Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Bean. W.
- Publisher
- Murray
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
]. Stored seed requires 3 months warm then 3 months cold stratification[
113- Title
- The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W.
- Publisher
- Athens Ga. Varsity Press
- Year
- 1987
- ISBN
- 0942375009
- Description
- A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.
]. Germination is usually good, prick out the seedlings into individual pots once they are large enough to handle. Overwinter in a greenhouse for the first winter and plant out in late spring.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, mid summer in a frame[
113- Title
- The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W.
- Publisher
- Athens Ga. Varsity Press
- Year
- 1987
- ISBN
- 0942375009
- Description
- A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.
].
Layering in autumn.
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