Paederia scandens

At a glance

Exposure: Full sun

Cultivation

Succeeds in any fertile soil so long as it is well drained. A very variable plant. The bruised leaves and young growths have an unpleasant smell.

Propagation

Seed - we have no information on this species but suggest sowing the seed in late winter or early spring in a cold frame. 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, July/August in a frame.

Edible uses

The sweet stem juice is sucked in Taiwan.

Medicinal uses

The plant is anodyne, antivinous, carminative, depurative, vermifuge. The leaves are antirheumatic. A decoction of the whole plant is used in the treatment of abdominal pain, abscesses, arthritis, overeating etc.

Habitat

Thickets and thin woods in lowland and low elevations in mountains all over Japan.

Native range

E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea.