Smilacina purpurea

Family: Convallariaceae

What it is like

Smilacina purpurea is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.3 m (1ft) by 0.5 m (1ft 8in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 6. It is in flower from May to June, and the seeds ripen from August to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) or semi-shade (light woodland). It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 0.3

Where it is found

Forests and thickets at elevations of 3200 - 4000 metres in western China. Dense Betula and Sorbus forests at elevatios of 2600 - 4200 metres in Nepal.

E. Asia - Himalayas to S.W. China.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 1

Tender young leaves and shoots - cooked as a vegetable.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating:

How it is grown

Requires a deep fertile humus rich moisture retentive soil, neutral to slightly acid, that does not dry out in the growing season, and a shady position. Does well in a woodland garden. Hardy to about -20°c. Plants were growing well at Kew in 1987 in the shade of a woodland garden and were carrying a good crop of fruit.

Propagating it: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. The seed can be very slow to germinate, often taking 18 months. Stored seed should be sown in a cold frame as soon as possible, it may take 2 years or longer to germinate. Grow the seedlings on in a shady part of a greenhouse for their first year without pricking them out, giving them liquid or foliar feeds as required to ensure that they do not become nutrient deficient. Divide the young plants up into individual pots in the autumn when they are dormant, and grow them on for at least another year in a shady part of the greenhouse. When the plants have reached a sufficient size, plant them out in the autumn whilst they are dormant. Division in spring or early autumn. Very easy, 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.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Perennial

Hardiness:

Growth:

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. pallida. non Royle. Smilacena purpurea