PlantPeers
Back to Catalog
No image available
Thymelaeaceae FAMILY

Edgeworthia gardneri

Edgeworthia gardneri

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Shrub
Growth—

Edgeworthia gardneri is native to the Himalayas, where it can be found mainly at elevations up to 2,500 metres, though sometimes as high as 3,500 metres. It requires hot summers to fully ripen its wood, but is generally reliably hardy down to about -5°c for short periods and perhaps as low as -15°c if growing in a well-drained soil in a warm, sheltered position[1]. The flowers are damaged by frost so the plant is best grown in a position sheltered from early morning sun[2]. Succeeds in any soil in sun or part shade, growing well in light woodland. Prefers a well-drained soil with plenty of moisture in the growing season. Very closely related to and scarcely distinct from Edgeworthia chrysantha[1]. Plants resent root disturbance and should be put into their permanent positions as soon as possible[2]. This species is cultivated in the Himalayas for the paper that can be made from the bark[3]. The stems are harvested every second year for this purpose[4]. The flowers diffuse a pronounced clove-like perfume and will scent the air to some distance on a calm day[5].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Place the pot in a plastic bag to keep it moist[6]. The seed might germinate in the spring, though it could take another 12 months. Stored seed usually requires 8 - 12 weeks warm stratification at 20°c followed by 12 - 14 weeks at 3°c[6]. Germination can still take 12 months or more at 15°c[6]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle, and grow on in a greenhouse for at least a year before planting out in late spring or early summer[6]. Consider giving the plants some protection from the cold for their first winter outdoors. Cuttings in spring. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, mid summer in a frame[1]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Edgeworthia+gardneri>

Pollinators

Insects

References

  1. [1]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.
  2. [2]The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers — Brickell. C. · Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. · 1990 · ISBN 0-86318-386-7 ↩︎Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.
  3. [3]Dictionary of Economic Plants. — Uphof. J. C. Th. · Weinheim · 1959 · ISBN - ↩︎An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
  4. [4]A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. — Usher. G. · Constable · 1974 · ISBN 0094579202 ↩︎Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
  5. [5]Scented Flora of the World. — Genders. R. · Robert Hale. London. · 1994 · ISBN 0-7090-5440-8 ↩︎An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.
  6. [6]Focus on Plants. Volume 5. (formerly 'Growing from seed') — Bird. R. (Editor) · Thompson and Morgan. · 1991 · ISBN - ↩︎Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. A good article on Corydalis spp.
  7. [7]Flora of China — Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. · 1994 · http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ ↩︎An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
  8. [8]Economic Products of India. Volume 1. — Watt. G. · Government of India: Calcutta. · 1883 ↩︎Although over 100 years old, it still contains a wealth of information on useful plants. Many of the botanical names have been changed since then, so you have to check for up to date names. The book can be downloaded from the Internet.
  9. [9]Flowers of India — http://www.flowersofindia.net/ ↩︎A wed site of native Indian plants, plus cultivated and naturalized species. It has good quality photos and terse details on more than 3,000 species and cultivars.
  10. [10]Flowers of the Himalayas. — Polunin. O. and Stainton. A. · Oxford Universtiy Press · 1984 · ISBN - ↩︎A very readable and good pocket guide (if you have a very large pocket!) to many of the wild plants in the Himalayas. Gives many examples of plant uses.
  11. [11]Plants and People of Nepal — Manandhar. N. P. · Timber Press. Oregon. · 2002 · ISBN 0-88192-527-6 ↩︎Excellent book, covering over 1,500 species of useful plants from Nepal together with information on the geography and peoples of Nepal. Good descriptions of the plants with terse notes on their uses.
  12. [12]A Manual of Indian Timbers. — Gamble. J. S. · Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh · 1972 · ISBN - ↩︎First written in the 19th century, but still a classic, giving a lot of information on the uses and habitats of Indian trees. Not for the casual reader.
  13. [13]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.