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Theaceae FAMILY

Ternstroemia japonica

Ternstroemia japonica

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
1/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Shrub
Growth—

Requires a lime-free soil and a sheltered position[1]. Succeeds in a fertile humus-rich well-drained but moisture-retentive soil in part shade[2]. Succeeds in north-facing sites[2]. Generally considered to be a tender shrub, but it tolerates temperatures down to about -10°c if the wood has been well-ripened[2] and succeeds outdoors in the mildest maritime areas of Britain[1, 2]. Any pruning is best carried out in spring[3].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse[2]. Sow stored seed in a greenhouse in early spring[3]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots once they are large enough to handle. Grow the young plants on for at least their first winter in a greenhouse and plant out in late spring or early summer. Cuttings of half ripe wood, August in a frame[2]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Ternstroemia+japonica>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

  1. [1]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.
  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]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.
  4. [4]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.
  5. [5]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.
  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.