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Phytolacca dioica

Common name:	Bella Sombra	Family:	Phytolaccaceae
Author:	(L.)Moq.	Botanical references:	200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	The leaves are poisonous. They are said to be alright to eat when young, the toxins developing as they grow older. Other parts of the plant, including the fruit, are likely to be poisonous.
Range:	S. America - Argentina.
Habitat:	Not known
Edibility Rating (1-5):	2	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	dioica = dioecious (lit. 2 houses referring to male and female parts on different plants)
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Caryophyllales. Pokeweed family

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen tree growing to 4m. It is hardy to zone 9 and is frost tender. It is in leaf all year. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). We rate it 2/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade.

Edible Uses

Colouring Fruit Leaves.

Young leaves and shoots - cooked and used as a vegetable[183]. The leaves should not be eaten raw and only the young leaves should be used since they become toxic with age.
The fruits are made into jellies or jams and are also used as a red colouring for food[183]. Some caution is advised. See notes on toxicity.

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

A red ink is obtained from the fruit.

Cultivation details

An easily grown plant, succeeding in most soils[1], though preferring a moisture retentive fertile soil in full sun or partial shade[200]. Plants can be grown in quite coarse grass, which can be cut annually in the autumn[233].
This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10° c[200]. A spreading shade-giving tree in its native habitat, it might develop as a shrub in a warm sheltered position in Britain[200]. The young growth in spring can be damaged by late frosts.
Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[233].

Propagation

Seed - sow autumn or spring in a cold frame[200]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
If you have sufficient seed, it might be worthwhile trying an outdoor sowing in a seed bed in early spring. Grow the plants on in the seedbed for their first year and plant them out the following spring.
Division in March or October. Use a sharp spade or knife to divide the rootstock, making sure that each section has at least one growth bud. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer.

Suppliers

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

Web References

[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for the family Phytolaccaceae.

[CHINA] Draft Data Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

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

References

[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]).

[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.

[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.

[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants 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.

Readers Comments

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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
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