Qing Qi (Solanum septemlobum)

Qing Qi, Seven-lobed Nightshade - Solanum septemlobum - this is frost hardy perennial, climbing shrub to about 3 (5) meters (10-17 ft) tall, native to eastern Asia (China, Russia).  It belongs to "Ducamaroid clade" of genus Solanum.

In northern areas (as my zone 6b) the (half-)woody shoots are killed by frost in winter but plant re-sprouts in spring from base. It has small lobed leaves, lovely purple and yellow flowers and red inedible fruits. Very ornamental, exotic-looking climber. It reminds Solanum seaforthianum (Brazilian Nightshade) in an appearance, but it is much more frost hardy. It is also edible plant – the cooked leaves were formerly eaten as famine food in China. I think that they should be boiled in changed water to remove toxins. The fruits are probably inedible or toxic.

Propagation: It can be difficult to propagating. Seeds germinate very slowly and erratic, gradually (often after a few months since sowing date) and very fast are losing its viability. The soaking of the seeds in GA3 (2000 ppm by 24 hours) or sowing fresh, never-dried seeds (just after removing from fruits) can a little increase a germinating rate. I tried store fresh seeds in moist sand in fridge but they germinated still in small rare and slowly (after a few months of cold stratification). I am not sure, but near my older plant have started to appear young plants, so maybe it creates root suckers (I think that they are not seedlings because I havest almost all fruits every year to collecting the seeds). It is self-compatible (one plant is enough to fruits creating).

The seedling

The leaves are deeply lobed

Young fruits

The plant in flowers

This plant can be quite large and grows fast

First ripe fruits and last flowers

Caucasian Spinach (Hablitzia tamnoides)

Caucasian Spinach (Hablitzia tamnoides) it is the large (about 2-3,5m=7-12ft tall) dense, very ornamental climber with tuberous roots. Although its flowers are inconspicuous but they are created in numerous very large inflorescences, so plant looks very showy. 

The Caucasian Spinach is very ornamental

 There are growing very numerous shoots (even several dozen or more) from one, a few years old, root in spring. This is native to Caucasus but some forms are cultivated from over one and half hundreds of years in Scandinavia. Leaves and young spring shoots are edible. When cooked they have a mild, pleasant taste. Plant very frost hardy (to zone 5b), but wild strains can be something less resistant. The genus Hablitzia is monotypic (there is only 1 species in this taxon). Plants are not attacked by pests exclude that young shoots of some forms are dying in early spring due to probably any fungi disease. It can even to kill the plant. Young plant should be planed not more deep than they grew in pots. In my experience my plants are propagating even by self-sowing (in zone 6b).

Propagation:

Seeds need about 4-5 weeks of cold stratification to germinate. Seeds should be stratified by a few weeks and (when the seeds germinate in fridge) replanted to the pots. Pots should be placed on sunny window sill in room temperature. Seedlings can be replanted to garden after last frosts. Plant likes half shade and moist soil (but is resistant to short drought).

Here is info about Caucasian Spinach germination (my experiences): I kept the seeds of Hablitzia in fridge (on surface of moist sand in closed but well drained plastic box) until they have germinated (4-9 weeks depending of variety). Then I planted the germinating seeds to pots with well drained soil mix, and put these pots on window sill (on west side) in warm temperature (about 20-24 Celsius degree = 68-75 Fahrenheit degree ). Seedlings grown well though it was winter (and small amount of sunlight). They developed in healthy seedlings and in half of May I replanted them to the garden (without root disturbance). Seeds can be also sow surface in cold but frost free place (for example cool cellar) in mid to late autumn or in winter. Then seeds should germinate within 1 (2) month (in temperature about 5 Celsius degree = 41 Fahrenheit degree). When the seeds germinate take the pots to room temperature to warm and light window sill. In my experience my cultivated and wild varieties germinated within 4-6 weeks.

I grew a few strains:

Wild Georgian form – robust variety to 3,5m (12ft) tall - different from a cultivated form in many features: has red stems, larger dark green leaves and more vigorous shoots, longer and less dense inflorescences. This variety is more suitable for warmer climate (but frost hardy to zones 5/6). Originates from Georgia (Caucasus).

The seedlings

Re-sprouting plant after winter

Young shoot

The plant in flowers (plant a few years old)

This variety has red striped stems

This variety has very large leaves

The plant with ripening fruits

Wild Armenian form - dense climber, leaves a little corrugated on the edges. Less robust than Georgian form in my experience and more susceptible to fungi disease, but very ornamental.

This variety has the leaves a little corrugated on the edges

The plant just before flowering

The plant in the second year of its life

 Wild Russian form – very frost resistant, but not quite large.

Cultivated Swedish form  which is medium size (to about 2 m = 7ft within a few years) climber with pale green, small leaves. It creates very dense inflorescences. Its seeds germinate very well and in high rate.

The tuberous root of 1-year old plant

Young spring shoots

The inflorescence close up

A few years old plant in flowers (this variety is not very huge)

This variety has green stems

The flowers close up

Other Cultivated Scandinavian forms (I marked them by numbers 1 and 2). 

The Scandinavian variety "1"

The Scandinavian variety "2"

False Nettles - Ramie cousins (Boehmeria sp. div.)

To the genus Boehmeria belongs about 47 species which grows both in Old and New World. They are mostly perennial herbaceous plants (or shrubs), nettle cousins, which are similar to nettles but have no stinging hairs. They are also known under name “False nettles”. Some species are edible, but the most important is use of them as textile plants. Especially one species – Boehmeria nivea – called Ramie, is widely cultivated w East Asia for high-quality fiber, which is used to make ropes, cloth, and some industrial materials.

Boehmeria platanifolia (Sycamore-leaf False Nettle) - one of the most ornamental species

They can be easily propagated by seeds – sown surface (they do not need any pre-treatment). They likes well drained soils and sunny or half-shade position. Some species are full hardy in my 6b zone while other need to wintered in cool cellar. Some species bloom late, so seeds not always ripe before winter in cool climates.

I tried to grow 9 species:

Ramie – Boehmeria nivea var. nivea – this is subshrub to about 1,5m = 5ft tall with alternate leaves, native to China, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Nepal, Sikkim, Thailand and Vietnam. I grew a strain from Japan. As I mentioned before it is well known as textile plant and also vegetable (cooked roots and young leaves). In zone 6b this species can survive mild winter but strong frosts (during hard winters as occurs one for a few years) can kill it. 

There are female flowers in upper part of stems and male ones below

It started to flowering in end of August in first year from seeds

Wild Ramie, Japanese False Nettle – Boehmeria nipononivea (syn. B. nivea var. nipononivea, B. nivea var. tenacissima) - very similar to previous one perennial (subshrub) about 0,5-2,5m (=2-8ft) tall. They differs mainly by their various hairiness. It is also used as textile and vegetable herb. It is native to east Asia. I grew a form from Japan. Probably more frost hardy than var. nivea (but I am not sure because I wintered it only in cool cellar so far). Very ornamental.

It never flowered in my experience

Giant False Nettle - Boehmeria gigantea - rare something frost hardy perennial about 1,5m (=5ft) tall, Japanese endemic. Very ornamental. As only one it has been evergreen in my cool and dark cellar in winter 2017/18 (where was some frost). 

It started to blooming very late in autumn

Racemose False Nettle - Boehmeria spicata - rare in cultivation Asiatic (sub-)shrub to about 1m (=3ft) tall. Hardy to some frost (to about zone 7/8). Very ornamental. The young stems and leaf petioles are red. Young leaves edible after cooking, very delicious.

One of the most ornamental species

It started to blooming in September

Long-racemose False Nettle - Boehmeria longispica –dioecious subshrub to 1,2m(=4ft) tall, native to China and Japan.  The leaves are large and almost suborbicular. Used as vegetable (cooked roots and leaves). 

This species has very large leaves

and blooms late

Sycamore-leaf False Nettle, Plane-leaved False Nettle - Boehmeria platanifolia – said to be hardy to zones 4-8) perennial to 1 m (= 3ft) tall, native to east Asia (China, Korea and Japan). With very, very ornamental leaves. 

 

Young plants

It starts very late to blooming

Three-pointed False Nettle - Boehmeria tricuspis – a herbaceous, rather small perennial 0,5-0,8m (=2-3 ft) tall native to Japan and China. The leaves are lobed and very ornamental. They are also edible after cooking.

Young seedling

Siebold’s False Nettle - Boehmeria sieboldiana – erect perennial about 1-2m (=3-6 ft) tall, native to Japan. Full frost hardy in zone 6b and warmer. Ornamental.

It is fully frost hardy in zone 6b

American False Nettle, Bog Hemp - Boehmeria cylindrica – this is herbaceous perennial or sub-shrub native to USA, Central and South America. A fibers obtained from the stems is used for cordage, nets etc. It survived a few winters in my garden in zone 6b (without mulching), but after one very strong winter it died.

This spesies is less ornametal

If you have available seeds of any rare nettle cousins (species which belongs to family Urticaceae) please write to me.