Red Hailstone, Manchu tubergourd
Thladiantha dubia
Family: Cucurbitaceae
What it is like
Thladiantha dubia is a PERENNIAL CLIMBER growing to 2 m (6ft 7in) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 7. It is in flower from July to August, and the seeds ripen from September 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). and is pollinated by Insects. 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 cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 2
Where it is found
Riparian meadows and sandy coasts. Forest sides and valleys at elevations of 300 - 1800 metres.
E. Asia - N.E. China, Korea. Naturalized in C. and S.E. Europe.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 1
Fruit - raw or cooked. Succulent. The oblong fruit is about 4cm long and 2.5cm wide. Young plant - cooked. Root. No further details are given.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Medicine
Rating: 2
The seed is a cardiac tonic and an astringent. The root is alterative, cholagogue, diuretic and galactogogue.
Alterative: Causes a gradual beneficial change in the body, usually through improved nutrition and elimination, without having any marked specific action.
Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
Cardiotonic: A tonic for the heart.
Cholagogue: Increases the flow of bile and its discharge from the body.
Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
Galactogogue: Promotes the flow of milk in a nursing mother.
Other
Rating:
How it is grown
Succeeds in almost any soil that is well-drained. Prefers a fertile soil in a sunny but sheltered position. Hardy to about -20°c. Although the plant is hardy, it grows better on a sunny wall. A fast-growing plant, climbing by means of tendrils. It grows well on fences etc and can be used as a screen over unsightly objects, though it dies back to the roots each winter. The young shoots require protection (the report does not specify from what). Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if fruit and seed is required.
Propagating it: Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots of fairly rich soil and plant them out after the last expected frosts. Division of tubers in spring or autumn. The tubers can be harvested in the autumn and stored in a cool frost-free place overwinter then planted out in the spring.
Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Perennial Climber
Hardiness: 6-9
Growth: Fast
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Moist