Schisandra, Five-Flavor Berry, Wu Wei Zi, Magnolia Berry. Many names for what we
believe may be the most complex tasting fruit a human being could ever taste.
Schisandra fruits are small red clusters that are harvested later in the fall,
in clumps almost in the theme of grapes. The fruits pop in the mouth with a
combination of sweet and sour and intense perfumes and aromatics mixed in.
Biting into the seed releases a slightly spicy and somehow almost Umami or
salty note, and the skin carries just a bit of bitters. Every flavor, all five
flavors AND Umami, in one fruit. All this on a beautiful, shade tolerant, super
cold hardy perennial vine that neither rabbits nor deer seem interested in.
Our offering here are divisions of seedling grown. It is possible to have a single
vine produce fruit but generally they are much more likely to be productive when 2
or more are growing near one another.
Size:
Twining, woody vine that can reach up to 30’ over time, but can be managed to a
specific height on a trellis.
Site Preference:
Very well adapted to shade and partial shade, in warmer climates they would prefer
more shade for sure. They seem to enjoy rich, evenly moist soils as well
Hardiness:
Zone 4-8
A single plant order will get you a well rooted division of a plant with likely multiple
shoots ready to grow and establishA multiple plant order will give you a number of smaller
divisions that are all rooted with at least one growth point, we will try to source the
divisions from separate seedling grown mother plants.
Germination Rate 91% (Erratic Propagation)
Seed - best sown in the autumn in a cold frame. Pre-soak stored seed for 12 hours in warm water
and sow in a greenhouse in the spring. Germination can be slow and erratic. Prick out the
seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in light
shade in the greenhouse for their first 2 years. Plant them out into their permanent positions
in early summer. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8cm with a heel, August in a frame. Overwinter
in the greenhouse and plant out in late spring. Good percentage. Layering of long
shoots in the autumn.