Wu Jia Pi (Eleutherococcus gracylistylus)
At a glance
- Lifecycle
- Perennial (hardy)
- Exposure
- Full sun
- Frost limit
- −23.3 °C
Cultivation
Succeeds in an open loamy soil. Plants are hardy to at least -10 to -15°c if they are sheltered from cold winds. This species is closely related to E. sieboldianus.
Propagation
Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse for at least the first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Cuttings of ripe wood of the current season's growth, 15 - 30cm long in a cold frame. Root cuttings in late winter. Division of suckers in the dormant season.
Edible uses
Flowers. No more details are given.
Medicinal uses
The leafy shoots are tonic and are also believed to alleviate internal injuries by dispelling blood. The root bark is antibacterial, antirheumatic and diuretic. A decoction of the stem bark or the roots is used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, aches and pains in the back and legs, open sores on the scrotum, beriberi and traumatic injuries. The plant is aphrodisiac, nutritive and tonic.
Habitat
Wasted slopes or shrub thickets.
Native range
E. Asia - China.