Nepalese smartweed (Polygonum nepalense)

At a glance

Lifecycle: Annual
Exposure: Full sun

Cultivation

We have very little information on this species and do not know if it is hardy in Britain, though it should succeed as a spring-sown annual in this country. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Succeeds in an ordinary garden soil. Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits.

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. Germination is usually free and easy. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer if they have reached sufficient size. If not, overwinter them in a cold frame and plant them out the following spring after the last expected frosts.

Edible uses

Tender young leaves and shots - raw or cooked as a vegetable. Seed - raw or cooked. It is rather small and fiddly to utilize.

Medicinal uses

A juice of the root is used in the treatment of fevers.

Material uses

The squeezed plant is used for washing clothes.

Habitat

Usually common in damp shaded situations, 1700 - 2000 metres in Srinagar. Damp woods in mountains all over Japan.

Native range

E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea, Himalayas.

Scientific synonyms Persicaria nepalensis