Helwingia chinensis
Family: Cornaceae
What it is like
Helwingia chinensis is an evergreen Shrub growing to 1.5 m (5ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8. It is in leaf all year, in flower from April to May, and the seeds ripen from August to October. 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. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) or semi-shade (light woodland). It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 1.5
Where it is found
Thickets, 1300 - 2300 metres in W. Szechwan. Mixed woods and thickets on slopes, broad-leaved forests, at elevations of 1000 - 2600 metres.
E. Asia - W. China.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 1
The flowers and leaves might be edible.
Medicine
Rating: 1
A decoction of the leaves and the bark are ingested for treating skin inflammations.
Skin: Plants used in miscellaneous treatments for the skin.
Other
Rating:
How it is grown
Succeeds in ordinary garden soil. Requires a sheltered position beneath a good tree canopy cover. Plants are not very hardy outdoors in Britain, only thriving in milder areas of the country where winter temperatures do not fall below about -7°c. The flowers are produced on the midribs of the leaves. Dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.
Propagating it: Seed - we have no information on this species but suggest sowing the seed in a greenhouse in late winter. 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.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; not Deep Shade;
Habit: Shrub
Hardiness: 7-10
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Full shade, semi-shade
Moisture: Moist