Menu list goes here

Herbal Database Search Results

Back to: Pathways Main Search Page For Metaphysical uses visit The Witchs Haven

Drimys winteri

Common name:	Winter's Bark	Family:	Winteraceae
Author:	J.R.Forst.&G.Forst.	Botanical references:	11, 69, 200
Synonyms:	Wintera aromatica (Murray. non (R.Br.)Muell.), Drimys aromatica (Murray. non (R.Br.)Muell.)
Known Hazards:	The sap of this plant can cause serious inflammation if it comes into contact with the eyes[139].
Range:	Southern S. America - Chile, Argentina.
Habitat:	The dominant tree in moister lowland sites to Tierra Del Fuego[69]. Boggy sites by streams etc in rich soils[139].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	3	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	2

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	D. chilensis[G] D. lanceolata[G] D. winteri var. chilensis[G] D. winterii[R] Tasmannia aromatica[G] Tasmannia lanceolata[G] Winterana lanceolata[G]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Aktarcin [E], Canelo [E], Winter'Sbark [E], Winter's Bark [H,P],
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Magnoliales. Wintera family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	Brazil; Chile; Mexico; Turkey; Venezuela

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen shrub growing to 7.5m by 6m at a medium rate. It is hardy to zone 8. It is in leaf all year, in flower from January to June. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). We rate it 3/5 for edibility and 2/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid and neutral soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland). It requires moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge.

Edible Uses

Condiment.

The aromatic pungent bark is powdered and used as a pepper substitute in Brazil, Chile and Argentina[2, 46, 69, 183]. It is rich in vitamin C[22].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Antidandruff; Antiscorbutic; Aromatic; Febrifuge; Parasiticide; Skin; Stimulant; Stomachic.

The bark is a pungent bitter tonic herb that relieves indigestion[238]. It is antiscorbutic, aromatic, febrifuge, skin, stimulant and stomachic. An infusion of the bark is used in the treatment of indigestion, colic, dandruff and scurvy[4, 46, 69, 139, 238]. It is also used as a parasiticide[4, 46, 69, 139]. The bark is harvested in the autumn and winter and is dried for later use[238].

Other Uses

Essential; Wood.

The powerfully aromatic bark contains resinous matter and 0.64% of aromatic essential oil[245].
Wood - not durable, heavy (it sinks in water) - interior of houses, boxes etc. It burns badly with a smell[46, 61, 69, 139].

Cultivation details

Requires a light lime-free soil in semi-shade[202]. Tolerates chalk in the soil[11]. Requires a deep moist soil[11]. Dislikes dry conditions[139]. Prefers a warm sandy loam with some shelter[1]. Fairly wind resistant[49, 166]. Another report says that the plant resents severe wind-chill[202].
Succeeds against a wall at Kew[K] and it thrives in an open position in S.W. England[11, 49, 59]. Tolerates temperatures down to about -10°c[184]. This species is less hardy than D. lanceolata but it usually recovers from damage[120]. Another report says that it is hardier than D. lanceolata[200].
A very ornamental plant[11]. The sub-species D. winteri andina. Reiche. is a slow growing dwarf form seldom exceeding 1 metre in height[182]. It usually commences flowering when about 30cm tall[238].
A polymorphic species[139].
The flowers have a delicate fragrance of jasmine, whilst the bark has a powerful aromatic smell[245].
This plant was a symbol of peace to the indigenous Indian tribes of S. America in much the same way as an olive branch was used in Greece[139].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[200].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a greenhouse[200]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow on the plants for at least their first winter in a cold frame. Plant them out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Layering in March/April. Takes 12 months[78].
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 10 - 15 cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Approximately 60% take[78].
Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth with a heel of older wood, November in a cold frame[78].

Scent

Flowers: Fresh: The flowers have a delicate fragrance of jasmine.
Stem: Crushed Dried: The bark has a powerful aromatic smell.

Cultivars

'': There are some named forms for this species, but these have been developed for their ornamental value and not for their other uses. Unless you particularly require the special characteristics of any of these cultivars, we would generally recommend that you grow the natural species for its useful properties. We have, therefore, not listed the cultivars in this database[K].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

PFAF Web Pages

This plant is mentioned in the following web pages

Web References

Details of Medicinal Uses, Habitats, etc. in M. Grieve A Modern Herbal (1931) [4]
[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[PHARM] Phytochemical Data (common names, uses, countries) from Dr Duke's Phytochemical Database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for Drimys aromatica (a possible synonym).

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database

References for Drimys winterii (a possible synonym).

[R] Rainforest medicinal Data (common names, medicinal uses, images) from the Rain-Tree.

References for Tasmannia lanceolata (a possible synonym).

[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.

References for Wintera aromatica (a possible synonym).

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[22] Sholto-Douglas. J. Alternative Foods.
Not very comprehensive, it seems more or less like a copy of earlier writings with little added.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
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.

[49] Arnold-Forster. Shrubs for the Milder Counties.
Trees and shrubs that grow well in &ndndndnd and other mild areas of Britain. Fairly good, a standard reference book.

[59] Thurston. Trees and Shrubs in &ndndndnd.
Trees and shrubs that succeed in &ndndndnd based on the authors own observations. Good but rather dated.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. 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.

[69] Moore. D. M. Flora of Tierra del Fuego. Anthony Nelson. 1983 ISBN 0-904614-05-0
Standard work for this part of S. America. Excellent details of habitat and a few notes on plant uses.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[120] ? The Plantsman. Vol. 2. 1980 - 1981. Royal Horticultural Society 1980
Excerpts from the periodical giving cultivation details and other notes on some of the useful plants including Billardiera spp, Calochortus spp, Drimys spp.

[139] ? Flora of Chile. (in Spanish)
Some information about the useful plants of Chile.

[166] Taylor. J. The Milder Garden. Dent 1990
A good book on plants that you didn't know could be grown outdoors in Britain.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. 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.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[184] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs. Pan Books 1989 ISBN 0-330-30258-2
Excellent photographs and a terse description of 1900 species and cultivars.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. 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.

[202] Davis. B. Climbers and Wall Shrubs. Viking. 1990 ISBN 0-670-82929-3
Contains information on 2,000 species and cultivars, giving details of cultivation requirements. The text is terse but informative.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. 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.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. 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.

Readers Comments

Back to: Pathways Home page, Main Search Page Help Bibliography

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Drimys+winteri
This page (US) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Drimys+winteri

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
(You can copy, distribute, display this works but: Attribution is required, its for Non-Commercial purposes, and it's Share Alike (GNUish/copyleft) i.e. has an identical license.)
We also ask that you let us know (michael@thewitchshaven.com) if you link to, redistribute, make a derived work or do anything groovy with this information.

Home :: View Cart :: Shipping & Returns :: Contact Us :: Log In :: Privacy Policy :: Home :: Philosophy

We make no claims of magical effects or supernatural powers for any item in this catalog. In spite of legendary attributes or occult and craft tradition, such items are offered as curios only and beliefs concerning their magical effectiveness are related only for historical interest.