Magnolia Vine, Wu Wei Zi
Schisandra chinensis
Family: Schisandraceae
What it is like
Schisandra chinensis is a deciduous Climber growing to 9 m (29ft 6in) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4 and is not frost tender. It is 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 and prefers well-drained soil. 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): 9
Where it is found
Mixed forests, especially on the margins, also by streams and brooks, usually on sandy soils.
E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 4
Fruit - raw or cooked. Usually dried and used on journeys, it is very sustaining. Rich in sugars, it has a sweet/sour flavour. In Russia a paste made from the fruit is mixed with Actinidia arguta in order to counteract the insufficient acidity of that species. The fruit is about 6mm in diameter and is borne in a grape-like bunch about 10cm long. Young leaves - cooked and used as a vegetable.
Gum: can be chewed as a chewing gum or can often be used as a sweetener or thickening agent in foods.
Medicine
Rating: 5
Wu Wei Zi is commonly used in Chinese herbalism, where it is considered to be one of the 50 fundamental herbs. It is an excellent tonic and restorative, helping in stressful times and increasing zest for life. It is considered to be a substitute for ginseng and is said to be a tonic for both the male and the female sex organs. The fruit is antitussive, aphrodisiac, hepatic, astringent, cardiotonic, cholagogue, expectorant, hypotensive, lenitive, nervine, pectoral, sedative, stimulant and tonic. Low doses of the fruit are said to stimulate the central nervous system whilst large doses depress it. The fruit also regulates the cardiovascular system. It is taken internally in the treatment of dry coughs, asthma, night sweats, urinary disorders, involuntary ejaculation, chronic diarrhoea, palpitations, insomnia, poor memory, hyperacidity, hepatitis and diabetes. Externally, it is used to treat irritating and allergic skin conditions. The fruit is harvested after the first frosts and sun-dried for later use. The fruit contains lignans. These have a pronounced protective action on the liver. In one clinical trial there was a 76% success rate in treating patients with hepatitis, no side effects were noticed. The seed is used in the treatment of cancer. The plant is antirheumatic. A mucilaginous decoction obtained from the branches is useful in the treatment of coughs, dysentery and gonorrhoea.
Antirheumatic: Treats rheumatism.
Antitussive: Prevents or relieves coughing.
Aphrodisiac: Increases the sexual appetite.
Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
Cancer: Used in the treatment of cancer.
Cardiotonic: A tonic for the heart.
Cholagogue: Increases the flow of bile and its discharge from the body.
Dysentery: Used in treating dysentery - an infection of the intestines that causes diarrhoea containing blood or mucus.
Expectorant: Clears phlegm from the chest by inducing coughing.
Hepatic: Acts on the liver (for better or worse!).
Lenitive: Soothing, palliative.
Nervine: Stimulates and calms the nerves.
Pectoral: Relieves respiratory diseases, a remedy for chest diseases.
Sedative: Gently calms, reducing nervousness, distress and irritation.
Stimulant: Excites or quickens activity of the physiological processes. Faster acting than a tonic but differing from a narcotic in that it does not give a false sense of well-being.
Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.
Urinary: Treats urinary problems, including urinary tract infection (UTI).
Other
Rating: 2
A viscid mucoid material is obtained from the fruit and the branches, it is used as a size for paper and as a hair dressing. The dried wood is charmingly fragrant.
Gum: Gums have a wide range of uses, especially as stabilizers, emulsifiers, thickening agents, adhesives etc.
Hair: Plants used as hair shampoos, tonics, to treat balding etc.
Size: Used on materials, paper etc to give a surface that will take ink, dyes etc.
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
Prefers a rich well-drained moisture retentive soil. Prefers a slightly acid soil but tolerates some alkalinity if plenty of organic matter is added to the soil. Requires some protection from the most intense sunlight. Plants succeed in quite deep shade and are suitable for north-facing walls. Plants are intolerant of drought. The fully dormant plant is hardy to about -17°c, though the young growth in spring can be damaged by late frosts. Plants climb by twining around supports. Any pruning is best carried out in the spring. The flowers are sweetly scented. The leaves are also aromatic. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required. The plant is heat tolerant in zones 9 through 7. (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. Growth habit is a single or multiple shooting vine from a crown.
Propagating it: Seed - best sown in the autumn in a cold frame. Pre-soak stored seed for 12 hours in warm water and sow in a greenhouse in the spring. Germination can be slow and erratic. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in light shade in the greenhouse for their first 2 years. Plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8cm with a heel, August in a frame. Overwinter in the greenhouse and plant out in late spring. Good percentage. Layering of long shoots in the autumn.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; not Deep Shade; North Wall. By. East Wall. By.
Habit: Climber
Hardiness: 4-8
Growth: Medium
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Full shade, semi-shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
Its other names
Local names
Synonyms
S. japonica. Kadsura chinensis. Maximowiczia chinensis. Sphaerostema japonicum.