Duo Zhi Zi Jin Niu (Ardisia sieboldii)
At a glance
- Lifecycle
- Perennial (hardy)
- Exposure
- Partial shade
Cultivation
We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Prefers a well-drained humus rich soil in partial shade in a position sheltered from cold drying winds.
Propagation
Seed - best harvested when it is ripe in the winter and sown immediately in a greenhouse. Sow stored seed as early in the year as possible. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a shady part of the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, once the plants are 20cm or more tall. Cuttings of half-ripe wood in summer.
Edible uses
Fruit - cooked. A famine food used when all else fails.
Habitat
Mixed forests, thickets, mountains and hillsides at elevations of 100 - 600 metres.
Native range
E. Asia - China, S. Japan, Formosa.