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Schisandra chinensis - Five flavor berry
Schisandra chinensis or Five-flavor berry is a deciduous woody vine native to forests of Northern China and the Russian Far East. It is hardy in USDA Zone 4. The plant likes some shade with moist, well-drained soil. The species itself is dioecious, thus flowers on a female plant will only produce fruit when fertilized with pollen from a male plant. However, a hybrid selection titled 'Eastern Prince' has perfect flowers and is self-fertile. Seedlings of 'Eastern Prince' are sometimes sold under the same name, but are typically single-sex plants.
Description
Its Chinese name comes from the fact that its berries possess all five basic flavors: salty, sweet, sour, pungent (spicy), and bitter.Plants require conditions of moderate humidity and light, together with a wet, humus-rich soil. Tens of tons of berries are used annually in Russia in Primorsky Krai and Khabarovsk Krai for the commercial manufacture of juices, wines, extracts, and sweets.
Uses
- Its berries are used in traditional Chinese medicine, where it is considered one of the 50 fundamental herbs.
- In China, a wine is made from the berries
- Schisandra chinensis is a remedy for colds and sea-sickness.
- In traditional Chinese medicine, S. chinensis is believed to act as an astringent for the Qi of the lungs and kidneys.
