Hag Briar
Smilax hispida

Family: Smilacaceae

What it is like

Smilax hispida is a deciduous Climber growing to 15 m (49ft 3in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5. It is in flower in June. The species is dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required). . The plant is not self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 15

Where it is found

Rich, often calcareous, soils in woods, thickets and bottoms.

Eastern and Central N. America - Connecticut to Ontario, Minnesota, Nebraska, N. Carolina and Texas.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 2

Leaves and young shoots - raw or cooked. Root - cooked. It can be dried, ground into a powder and then used with cereals for making bread etc. It can also be used as a gelatine substitute.

Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.

Medicine

Rating: 2

The stem prickles have been rubbed on the skin as a counter-irritant to relieve localised pains, muscle cramps and twitching. A tea made from the leaves and stems has been used in the treatment of rheumatism and stomach problems. The wilted leaves are applied as a poultice to boils. A tea made from the roots is used to help the expelling of afterbirth. Reports that the roots contain the hormone testosterone have not been confirmed, they might contain steroid precursors, however.

Birthing aid: Used in facilitating birth, but not just to cause uterine contrctions.

Poultice: A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.

Rubefacient: A counter-irritant and external stimulant, it produces inflammation and redness of the skin.

Other

Rating:

How it is grown

Succeeds in most soils in sun or semi-shade. Plants are hardy to about -15°c. A very ornamental plant, it thrives in Britain. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

Propagating it: Seed - sow March in a warm greenhouse. This note probably refers to the tropical members of the genus, seeds of plants from cooler areas seem to require a period of cold stratification, some species taking 2 or more years to germinate. We sow the seed of temperate species in a cold frame as soon as we receive it, and would sow the seed as soon as it is ripe if we could obtain it then. When the seedlings eventually germinate, prick them out into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first year, though we normally grow them on in pots for 2 years. Plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer. Division in early spring as new growth begins. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer. Cuttings of half-ripe shoots, July in a frame.

Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge;

Habit: Climber

Hardiness: 4-8

Growth:

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

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

S. tamnoides hispida.