Rice Paper Plant, Chinese Rice Paper Plant
Tetrapanax papyrifer

Family: Araliaceae

What it is like

Bloom Color: White. Main Bloom Time: Early fall, Late fall, Mid fall. Form: Rounded, Upright or erect.

Tetrapanax papyrifer is an evergreen Shrub growing to 5 m (16ft) by 5 m (16ft) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8 and is frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower in August, and the seeds ripen from October to December. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 5

Where it is found

Hillsides in mixed forests and shrub thickets at elevations of 100 - 2800 metres. Subtropical forests.

E. Asia - China, Taiwan.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 1

Root. No more details are given.

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

Medicine

Rating: 1

The pith is deobstruent, diuretic, febrifuge, galactagogue, sedative and vermifuge. It is used in Korea in the treatment of oedema.

Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.

Febrifuge: Reduces fevers.

Galactogogue: Promotes the flow of milk in a nursing mother.

Sedative: Gently calms, reducing nervousness, distress and irritation.

Vermifuge: Expels and kills internal parasites.

Other

Rating:

The inner pith of the stems is used to make 'rice paper'. It is also used for making toys and flowers, for surgical dressings and for painting on. The paper is made by cutting thin slivers from long sections of the pith.

Paper: Related to the entry for Fibre, these plants have been specifically mentioned for paper making.

How it is grown

Landscape Uses:Border, Container, Massing, Specimen, Woodland garden. Succeeds in any fertile soil and in most situations. Prefers a moist but well-drained humus-rich soil in full sun or semi-shade. The plant requires a sheltered position in order to prevent damage to its large leaves. Plants are not very hardy outdoors in Britain and are normally best grown in a cool greenhouse, but in selected sites they can tolerate temperatures down to about -5°c. They are often cut back to ground level in cold winters but will normally regrow from the rootstock in the spring. The plant can, in fact, become invasive, spreading by means of a vigorous suckering rootstock. Plants are growing well at Menehay in Cornwall. A young specimen was seen at Hilliers Arboretum in April 1999. It had about 3 years of growth above ground and was growing in a sheltered but fairly sunny position with no sign of die-back. Even more established plants can be found growing by a south-facing wall against a greenhouse at Cambridge Botanical Gardens. They had at least 4 years of growth above the ground in spring 1999 and were spreading at the roots. Plants are much cultivated in China for the pith obtained from the stems, which is used to make 'rice paper'. A very ornamental plant, it is closely related to Fatsia japonica. The flowers are produced in autumn and are often damaged by frosts. Special Features:Attractive foliage, Not North American native, Naturalizing, Attractive flowers or blooms.

Propagating it: Seed - sow autumn in a greenhouse. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow on for at least their first year in the greenhouse. Plant out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Consider giving the plants some protection from winter cold for their first few years outdoors. Division of suckers in the early spring. They can be difficult to establish. It is probably best to pot up the divisions and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse until they are well established. Keep them in the greenhouse for their first winter then plant them out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.

Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; South Wall. By. West Wall. By.

Habit: Shrub

Hardiness: 8-11

Growth: Fast

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

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Aralia papyrifera. Fatsia papyrifera.