Forestiera acuminata
(Michx.) Poir.
Swamp privet, Common adelia, Texas forestiera
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What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit
The fruit is edible and is typically chewed. Each fruit is about 25mm long, with a thin, dry flesh surrounding a large seed.
Where to Find It
It is a temperate plant. They need full sun. They are often near the waters edge and in swamps. They can withstand flooding. In the SE of the USA they grow up to 150 m altitude.
North America, USA,
How to Identify
A shrub or small tree. The trunks are slender and often lean. They are 10 cm across. It can form thickets at the waters edge. It grows 7.6 m tall. The leaves are opposite and diamond shaped. They have long points at both ends. There are small teeth above the middle. The leaf stalk is long. The leaves are yellow-green above and paler underneath. The flowers are small and yellowish-green. They are in small clusters and do not have petals. Male and female flowers are on separate trees. The fruit are 10-15 mm long. They are dark purple or black. They have a thin pulp and large stone.
How to Grow
Plants can be grown from seed or cuttings.
Propagation: Seed should be sown as soon as it is ripe in autumn, or in late winter in a cold frame. Once seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter before planting out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood can be taken in July or August and rooted in a frame. Cuttings of mature wood can be taken from November to February and rooted in a frame or sheltered outdoor bed.
Medicinal Uses
A decoction made from the roots and bark has been taken as a general health beverage.
Other Uses
The wood is hard, strong, and close-grained, though one report describes it as soft, light, and weak. It weighs 39lb per cubic foot and is used for turnery.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Forestiera acuminata, commonly known as eastern swamp privet, is a deciduous shrub or small tree that is native to the southeastern and central United States, growing primarily in or near wetlands. It is especially common along the Mississippi Valley as far north as Illinois and Indiana, but found also across the South from eastern Texas to South Carolina. It grows in swamp forests as well as rocky edges of streams and ponds. The species withstands flooding and its fruit is consumed by wild ducks.
Notes
There are 15 Forestiera species, 5 in tropical America.
References (3)
- Encycl. suppl. 2:664. 1812
- Little, E.L., 1980, National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees. Alfred A. Knopf. p 645
- Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
