|
|
Post by orflo on Sept 23, 2009 13:41:33 GMT -5
As most of you already guessed, this is a Chinese plant, also known as the Chinese ginseng. The latin name is gynostemma pentaphyllum. The edible parts are the leaves, which have a mildly sweet taste. These can be eaten raw, and have a reputation of being reinforcing, and jiaogulan is also known as a plant that provides eternal life. The leaves can also be cooked and brewn into tea, which is the most common thing to do. The plants aren't really difficult to grow, but they don't stand really dry weather. They can be easily sown, germination from fresh seeds is quick, within 7-10 days the first seedlings appear.  A good info page can be found over here: www.herb.com/jgl.htmlWhile this is a member of the cucurbit family, there are male and female flowers. It seems these male and female flowers do not appear simultaniously on one plants, but there should be plants with only male flowers and other ones with female flowers. My plants didn't flower this year, so I can't confirm that... |
|
|
|
Post by Hristo on Sept 24, 2009 3:41:08 GMT -5
One of my plants flowered with a bunch of tiny male flowers, despite they were transplanted late (my seeds are from Horizon Herbs). I wonder will they be root hardy in my area!?
|
|
|
|
Post by bunkie on Sept 24, 2009 8:59:28 GMT -5
orflo, is it a perennial? can it handle frost and cold? is it a biennial, thinking this cause you said yours didn't flower this year? looks like a handy plant to have around.
|
|
|
|
Post by orflo on Sept 25, 2009 1:17:37 GMT -5
It's a perennial, but quite susceptible to cold. Roots are said to survive in zone 8. It can be grown as an annual elsewhere, but it's not a really fast grower, at least not over here...
|
|
|
|
Post by stevil on Sept 25, 2009 1:38:32 GMT -5
A friend of mine, who is in to adaptogens ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adaptogen ), living on the coast of Norway west of here told me that it had survived the winter with him - minimum temperature around -10C I think, but certainly colder than Belgium. I'll ask him how he's getting on with it. I notice a comment from Horizon Herbs on PFAF (haven't read your link, Frank - can't access it from here): Cultivation by root cutting/division is really very easy. I've had plants escape down into the river gravel on the floor of our greenhouse and run for meters, sending up shoots anyplace they choose. In this situation, one has to merely snip off the runner with the shoot attached and replant. There's a thorough writeup on harvest, processing and medicinal use of this plant in my book "Making Plant Medicine." |
|
|
|
Post by bunkie on Sept 25, 2009 9:58:40 GMT -5
i wonder if it could be overwintered in a pot here, or just grown in a container period?
stevil, would like to hear what your friend says, too... will have to look up that book also...sounds like a good one.
|
|
|
|
Post by Hristo on Sept 25, 2009 11:36:18 GMT -5
That's promising, Stephen. Last year on HH site they stated hardy to z7, based on their experience (now I do not see that text). But if it survives -10C with no protection, it should survive -15-20 with some mulch.
Now the more important question - does it really has significant adaptogenic properties or it is just another exaggeration? As I recall this plant is used since less than 200 y. in China, which is not much at all. If you are that familiar with it, can you say that it really has significant adaptogenic properties?
|
|
|
|
Post by orflo on Sept 25, 2009 12:25:09 GMT -5
Hristo, here's a bit of history: www.jiaogulan.net/Jiaogulan.htm it goes back as far as the 15th century. I don't know anything about the adaptogenic properties, but I suspect it will be exaggerated and promoted the first few years, as is usual with these 'new miracle plants' , until more studies are made and everything will be seen more the way it really is, but I repeat, I suspect this....  My plants didn't really grow well, maybe they need either more warmth either more rain, or both, the biggest one is just about 25 cms (10 inches)... |
|
|
|
Post by Hristo on Sept 25, 2009 12:48:05 GMT -5
I suspect it will be exaggerated and promoted the first few years, as is usual with these 'new miracle plants' Yes, Frank, that is exactly what I suspect too.... |
|
|
|
Post by stevil on Oct 1, 2009 2:57:54 GMT -5
My friend replied as follows: "I had 3 plants outside and all survived the winter, but one died when it flooded. The other two didn’t give much of a yield as they grew slowly. This year, however, they have yielded better after I built a wind screen (his garden is very exposed to wind). My conclusion is that Gynostemma can overwinter, but it isn’t happy with windy conditions. The plants I had outside didn’t yield as much as the plants I had inside."
|
|
|
|
Post by blitzwagon on Jan 2, 2016 14:05:22 GMT -5
The adaptogenic qualities of Jiaogulan are well documented. I live in zone 9. One seed made one huge plant. Very fragile when young, then it grows like a weed. It needs lots of trellis space. Its Jan 2, so, its time to cut and dry the stems/leaves. I will leave the base of the plant intact. I grew it in my enclosed pool area against the screen, giving it partial sun and protection from critters and severe weather. I will dry it and grind it to make tea. So, it will start its above ground growth around the first of March in this zone. and off we go again! Good luck to all! |
|
|
|
Post by blitzwagon on Jan 2, 2016 14:07:31 GMT -5
Oh great! So, I am a gopher!! And I look like a grey alien. Oh, well, it could be worse. lol
|
|
|
|
Post by flowerweaver on Jan 2, 2016 14:24:51 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum blitzwagon ! Don't worry, you won't be a gopher long. And you can upload a personal image to replace your grey alien if you like. What do you grow besides this plant? |
|
|
|
Post by philagardener on Jan 2, 2016 16:13:44 GMT -5
We all were gophers once Welcome to HG! Hop on over to the welcome thread and let us know what you grow! |
|
|
|
Post by raymondo on Jan 2, 2016 21:23:20 GMT -5
|
|
