Schisandra chinensis
chinese limonnik
A deciduous twining climber with woody mature stems and slender, reddish young shoots. Leaves are obovate to elliptic, glossy and slightly serrated, to 14cm long. Small, cup-shaped, cream to pale pink flowers are produced on short stalks from the leaf axils from late spring and early summer; if pollinated, these are followed on female plants by hanging clusters of small, round, red or pink berries
Size
Ultimate height
8–12 metresTime to ultimate height
5–10 yearsUltimate spread
2.5–4 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Cream Pink | Green | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Cream Pink | Green | Red | |
| Autumn | Green Yellow | Red | ||
| Winter |
Position
- Full sun
- Partial shade
Aspect
East–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H5Botanical details
- Family
- Schisandraceae
- Native to the UK
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Climbing
- Genus
Schisandra are deciduous or evergreen, monoecious or dioecious, twining shrubs. Leaves are alternate on slender stalks. Flowers are solitary or in small clusters, borne in the leaf axils, and sepals and petals are indistinguishable. In female flowers the carpels are densely packed into a head, but as they ripen they elongate, eventually forming a spike several inches long
- Name status
Correct
How to grow
Cultivation
Grow in fertile, moist but well-drained soil; thrives in partial or dappled shade but will tolerate full sun as long as soil is consistently moist. Will benefit from mulching. Tie in shoots of young plants until established. Plant both male and female plants to ensure fruit
Propagation
Propagate by seed, sown in containers in a cold frame as soon as ripe, by softwood cuttings in early summer or by semi-ripe cuttings in late summer
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- City and courtyard gardens
- Cottage and informal garden
- Climber and wall shrubs
Pruning
Pruning group 12, in early spring
Pests
Generally pest-free
Diseases
Generally disease-free
Get involved
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