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Coriariaceae FAMILY

Coriaria terminalis

Coriaria terminalis

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

The seed may be poisonous[1]. Although we have no more information, it is reasonable to assume that other parts of the plant are also toxic.

Cultivation Details

HabitDeciduous Shrub
Growth—

Succeeds in any good soil[2], though it prefers a fairly good loamy soil in full sun or light shade[3, 4, 5]. Requires a sunny sheltered position[4, 2]. This species is one of the hardiest members of the genus, tolerating temperatures down to at least -5°c if sheltered from cold winds[5]. Plants are hardy from Sussex westwards[1]. It is hardy at Kew where it fruits annually and resprouts from the base if cut back in severe winters[3, 5]. Plants flower and fruit at the tips of the current years growth and so can produce fruit even if they have been cut to the ground[6, PFAF]. They can fruit well even when young, plants growing with us flowered and fruited in their third year from seed[PFAF]. When well sited, suckers can be produced at some distance from the parent plant[2, PFAF]. The roots of plants in this genus bear nitrogen-fixing nodules[7]. Whilst much of the nitrogen will be utilized by the growing plant, some of it will become available for other plants growing nearby[PFAF].

Propagation

Seed - sow February/March in a greenhouse[8]. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 3 months at 15°c[4]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Fair percentage[8]. Division in the spring. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Coriaria+terminalis>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

  1. [1]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  2. [2]Perennial Garden Plants — Thomas. G. S. · J. M. Dent & Sons, London. · 1990 · ISBN 0 460 86048 8 ↩︎A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.
  3. [3]Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. — Bean. W. · Murray · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
  4. [4]Growing from Seed. Volume 4. — Bird. R. (Editor) · Thompson and Morgan. · 1990 · ISBN - ↩︎Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. A good article on Yuccas, one on Sagebrush (Artemesia spp) and another on Chaerophyllum bulbosum.
  5. [5]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  6. [6]Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. — Thomas. G. S. · Murray · 1992 · ISBN 0-7195-5043-2 ↩︎Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.
  7. [7]Medicinal Plants of China — Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. · Reference Publications, Inc. · 1985 · ISBN 0-917256-20-4 ↩︎Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
  8. [8]Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. — Sheat. W. G. · MacMillan and Co · 1948 · ISBN - ↩︎A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
  9. [9]Plantae Wilsonae. Vol 1 - 3 — Wilson. E. H. · University Press; Cambridge. · 1911 - 1917 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org ↩︎Details of the palnts collected by the plant collector E. H. Wilson on his travels in China. Gives some habitats. Not for the casual reader. It can be downloaded from the internet.
  10. [10]Tanaka's Cyclopedia of Edible Plants of the World. — Tanaka. T. & Nakao S. · Keigaku Publishing; Tokyo · 1976 · ISBN - ↩︎The most comprehensive list of edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.
  11. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎