Sarsaparilla, Rough bindweed
Smilax aspera
Family: Smilacaceae
What it is like
Smilax aspera is an evergreen Climber growing to 3 m (9ft 10in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 9. It is in leaf all year, in flower from August to September. 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 semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 3
Where it is found
Bushy places, river banks and ravines, usually close to the sea. Forests at elevations of 1000 - 2000 metres in S. Xizang and SW Yunnan, China.
S. Europe to Asia in the Himalayas.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 3
Young shoots - raw or cooked as a vegetable. They can be cooked and used as an asparagus substitute. The tendrils are also eaten. The plant is an ingredient of soft drinks. (this probably refers to the root)
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Drink: not including plant saps, tea or coffee substitutes.
Medicine
Rating: 3
The root is alterative, demulcent, depurative, diaphoretic, diuretic, stimulant and tonic. This is one of the best depurative medicines and is used as a springtime tonic and general body cleanser, usually with woody nightshade (Solanum dulcamara). The root has all the medicinal virtues of the widely used tropical herb sarsaparilla, though to a lesser degree. It is often used as an adulterant to that plant. The ripe fruits are squeezed and applied to the skin in the treatment of scabies.
Alterative: Causes a gradual beneficial change in the body, usually through improved nutrition and elimination, without having any marked specific action.
Antipsoriatic: Used to treat psoriasis (an autoimmune disease that affects the skin).
Demulcent: Soothes, lubricates and softens irritated tissues, especially the mucous membranes.
Depurative: Eliminates toxins and purifies the system, especially the blood.
Diaphoretic: Induces perspiration.
Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
Parasiticide: Treats external parasites such as ringworm This should perhaps be joined with Parasiticide in
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.
Other
Rating: 3
A red dye is obtained from the ripe tendrils. The plant is often grown as an impenetrable hedge in warmer countries than Britain.
Dye: Plants that provide dyes.
Hedge: Plants that can be grown as hedges.
Parasiticide: Kills external body parasites such as hair lice.
Hedge: Hedge
Scented Plants: Plants noted for their scent
How it is grown
Succeeds in most soils in sun or semi-shade. A very ornamental plant, it is only hardy in the mildest areas of Britain, tolerating temperatures down to about -10°c. The flowers have a heavy sweet perfume. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.
Propagating it: Seed - sow March in a warm greenhouse. This note probably refers to the tropical members of the genus, seeds of plants from cooler areas seem to require a period of cold stratification, some species taking 2 or more years to germinate. We sow the seed of temperate species in a cold frame as soon as we receive it, and would sow the seed as soon as it is ripe if we could obtain it then. When the seedlings eventually germinate, prick them out into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first year, though we normally grow them on in pots for 2 years. Plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer. Division in early spring as new growth begins. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer. Cuttings of half-ripe shoots, July in a frame.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Hedge;
Habit: Climber
Hardiness: 8-11
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
Its other names
Local names
Synonyms
S. mauritanica. S. nigra.