| Common Name | Latin Name | Plant Family |
|---|---|---|
|
Huang Ping |
Vitex negundo |
Verbenaceae |
Young stems are used in basket making and for making wattles[51, 146, 158, 272].
The leaves are used to repel insects in grain stores[51, 146]. Extracts of the leaves have insecticidal activity[218]. The fresh leaves are burnt with grass as a fumigant against mosquitoes[238].
The plant is grown on slopes to counter land slides[272].
Cultivation & Habitat
Seed – sow March in a greenhouse. It does not need any pre-treatment[113]. Germination is usually free and quick. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer of the following year.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 – 8cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Good percentage[78].
Cuttings of mature wood of the current seasons growth, November in a cold frame[113].
An easily grown plant, it prefers a light well-drained loamy soil in a warm sunny position sheltered from cold drying winds[1, 200]. Succeeds in poor dry soils[238].
Plants tolerate temperatures down to about -10¡c[200]. They are not very hardy in Britain, they succeed outdoors at Kew[K], but in general are best given the protection of a sunny wall outside the milder areas of the country[11]. Plants only flower freely after a warm summer, so they are best grown against a sunny wall even in areas where they are hardy[219]. The flowers are produced so late in the season that they are unlikely to produce viable seed in this country even if they flower properly[K]. The plants require abundant summer sunshine in order to ripen their wood fully, the well-ripened wood is more frost resistant[11, 166].
There are some named forms, selected for their ornamental value[219].
The leaves and stems are strongly aromatic[182]. The flowers have a most pronounced musk-like perfume[245].
E. Asia – Southwest China to the Himalayas.
Become ungovernable, break the chains of the matrix; grow and forage your own food and medicine.
*None of the information on this website qualifies as professional medical advice. Take only what resonates with your heart and use your own personal responsibility for what’s best for you. For more information [brackets] [000], see bibliography.