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Ephedraceae FAMILY

Ephedra procera

Ephedra procera

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
3/5

Safety & Hazards

Many species in this genus contain phenylethylamine alkaloids (e.g. ephedrine, pseudoephedrine). These compounds have stimulant properties and are effective medications in the treatment of a number of conditions. However, they do also have potential side effects and are contraindicated in a number of conditions including anxiety, anorexia, bulimia, diabetes, glaucoma, hypertension, thyrotoxicosis[1].

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Shrub
Growth—

Ephedra species are mainly temperate to subtropical plants, native to arid and semi-arid regions and are also found in seasonally dry habitats such as Mediterranean climates. They are often found at moderate to high elevations, especially when they occur in tropical regions Requires a sunny position in a freely-draining soil. It grows well in dry soils and is very drought tolerant once established[2]. A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required. Plants require a good summer in order to fully ripen their wood - this will encourage good flowering and fruiting the following summer.

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a greenhouse[2]. It can also be sown in spring in a greenhouse in a sandy compost[PFAF]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow them on for at least their first winter in a greenhouse. Plant out in the spring or early summer after the last expected frosts and give some protection in their first winter[PFAF]. Division in spring or autumn[3]. Layering. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Ephedra+procera>

Pollinators

Wind

References

  1. [1]Ephedra foeminea Forssk. — 2023 · https://florapal.org/plant/ephedra-foeminea/ ↩︎
  2. [2]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.
  3. [3]Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. — Bown. D. · Dorling Kindersley, London. · 1995 · ISBN 0-7513-020-31 ↩︎A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
  4. [4]Flora of Pakistan — http://www.efloras.org ↩︎As of 2006, there is not much information on habitats available, but it is being developed and promises to be an excellent resource.
  5. [5]Revisión Taxonómica y Distribución Geográfica de Ephedra (Ephedraceae) en México — Villanueva-Almanza L. & Fonseca R.M. · 2011 ↩︎
  6. [6]Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). — Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. · Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. · 1986 · ISBN - ↩︎Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
  7. [7]The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism. — Mills. S. Y. ↩︎An excellent small herbal.
  8. [8]Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. — Yeung. Him-Che. · Institute of Chinese Medicine, Los Angeles · 1985 · ISBN - ↩︎An excellent Chinese herbal giving information on over 500 species. Rather technical and probably best suited to the more accomplished user of herbs.
  9. [9]The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants — Chevallier. A. · Dorling Kindersley. London · 1996 · ISBN 9-780751-303148 ↩︎An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.
  10. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎