Eurya chinensis
At a glance
- Lifecycle
- Perennial (hardy)
- Exposure
- Full sun
- Frost limit
- −6.7 °C
Cultivation
Prefers a moderately fertile free-draining moisture retentive soil in sun or part shade with shelter from cold drying winds. Dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.
Propagation
Seed - sow as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame or sow in early spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 6 - 8cm with a slight heel, July/August in individual pots in a frame. High percentage.
Edible uses
Fruit. The leaves are used as a tea substitute or to adulterate China tea.
Material uses
Wood - soft, close grained. Used mainly as a fuel.
Habitat
Thickets in hilly land or by streams at elevations under 800 metres.
Native range
E. Asia - southern China.