Hodo, Hodoimo
Apios fortunei
Family: Fabaceae or Leguminosae
What it is like
Apios fortunei is a PERENNIAL. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. It can fix Nitrogen. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very acid soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 0
Where it is found
Woods and thickets, 600 - 1000 metres in W. China.
E. Asia - China, Japan.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 5
Tuber - raw or cooked. It has a delicious flavour somewhat like sweet potatoes when roasted. The tuber can also be dried and ground into a powder. The tuber contains about 4.2% protein, 0.2% fat, 18.3% starch, 6% other carbohydrate, 1.3% ash.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Medicine
Rating: 1
The root is tonic.
Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.
Other
Rating: 3
Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.
Nitrogen Fixer: Plants that fix nitrogen in the soil
How it is grown
We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in many parts of this country. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Prefers a light rich soil and a sunny position. Another report says that it prefers light dappled shade. Tolerates acid soils. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby. 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. Growth habit is a single or multiple shooting vine from a crown. Herbaceous. The root pattern is tuberous with swollen potato-like roots .
Propagating it: Seed - pre-soak for 3 hours in tepid water and sow February/March in a cold frame. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 3 months at 15°c. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in light shade in the greenhouse for their first winter, planting them out in late spring or early summer. Division can be carried out at almost any time of the year, though spring is probably the best time. Simply dig up the roots, harvest the tubers and replant them where you want the plants to grow. It is also possible to harvest the tuber in winter, store them in a cool fairly dry but frost-free place over the winter and then plant them out in the spring. The tubers lose moisture rapidly once they have been harvested, so make sure that you store them in a damp medium such as leafmold.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 4-9
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
Its other names
Local names
Hodo, Hodoimo, groundnut, or potatobean