Chinese Cedar
Toona sinensis

Family: Meliaceae

What it is like

Toona sinensis is a deciduous Tree growing to 20 m (65ft) by 8 m (26ft) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower in July. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 20

Where it is found

Woodland.

E. Asia - China, northern India, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Asia, Australia, China, East Africa, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malawi, Malaysia, Mozambique, Papua New Guinea, SE Asia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Thailand, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

How it is used

Food

Rating: 3

Young shoots and leaves - cooked. This is a highly esteemed food in China, it is said to resemble onions in flavour and is usually boiled. Rich in vitamin A, the leaves also contain about 6% protein, 1% fat, 6.6% carbohydrate, 1.5% ash. The leaves can be used as a tea substitute. Fruit . No further details are given.

Tea: the various herb teas that can be used in place of tea, plus the genuine article.

Medicine

Rating: 2

The bark is astringent, carminative, febrifuge, ophthalmic and styptic. A decoction is used in the treatment of diarrhoea, chronic dysentery, flatulence, bloody stools, seminal emissions, leucorrhoea,, metrorrhagia and gonorrhoea.

Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.

Carminative: Reduces flatulence and expels gas from the intestines.

Dysentery: Used in treating dysentery - an infection of the intestines that causes diarrhoea containing blood or mucus.

Febrifuge: Reduces fevers.

Ophthalmic: Treats eye complaints.

Styptic: An astringent that stops bleeding by contracting the blood vessels.

Other

Rating: 4

Wood - very durable, easily worked, takes a good polish. It is a very valuable timber, resembling mahogany, and is used for making furniture, window frames etc. The wood is delicately scented and is burnt in temples as an incense.

Incense: Aromatic plants that can be burnt to impart a pleasant smell, repel insects and disinfect closed areas.

Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

Scented Plants: Plants noted for their scent

How it is grown

Thrives in most fertile well-drained soils in a sunny position. Prefers a rich loamy soil, growing well on calcareous soils. The fully dormant tree is hardy to about -25°c, though the young growth in spring can be damaged by late frosts. The tree is fast growing and is said to resist all insects and diseases. It is also long-lived. A very ornamental tree, the flowers diffuse a powerfully rich scent. It is cultivated in China for its edible leaves. The plant is heat tolerant in zones 12 through 10. (Plant Hardiness Zones show how well plants withstand cold winter temperatures. Plant Heat Zones show when plants would start suffering from the heat. The Plant Heat Zone map is based on the number of "heat days" experienced in a given area where the temperature climbs to over 86 degrees F (30°C). At this temperature, many plants begin to suffer physiological damage. Heat Zones range from 1 (no heat days) to 12 (210 or more heat days). For example Heat Zone. 11-1 indicates that the plant is heat tolerant in zones 11 through 1.) For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. A sprouting standard sending up shoots from the base. The root pattern is suckering with new plants from underground runners away from the plant.

Propagating it: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Stored seed germinates better if given a 3 month cold stratification. When 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 in late spring or early summer and consider giving them some protection from the cold in their first winter outdoors. Root cuttings, 4 - 5cm long, taken in December and potted up horizontally in pots in a greenhouse.

Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Canopy; Sunny Edge;

Habit: Tree

Hardiness: 6-11

Growth: Fast

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Kuruk, Mahaneem, Mahanim, Malarveppu, Mandurike, Mathagiri, Moulmein cedar, Nandichettu, Nandivriksha, Poma, Santhanavembu, Tawtama, Thevatharam, Todu, Tun, Tundu, Tuni, Tunna, Tunumaram, kinesisk toon, red toon, suren, xiang chun.

Synonyms

Ailanthus flavescens. Cedrella sinensis. Juss.