Sophora japonica Seeds | Radix Sophorae Kosam Kujin
LATIN NAME: Sophora japonica
COMMON NAME: Sophora Root, Ku Jin, Huai Jiao
Plant Profile
Sophora Root (Sophora japonica) grows as a medium-sized, deciduous tree in the pea family, native to warm regions of the east, while it has been planted in gardens and streets for its flowers. Mature plants top out at about Twenty metres. While it flowers, it feeds a quiet procession of bees and hoverflies. For the gardener, the sum of these traits is a plant that is easy to live with.
Science & Biotechnology
The pagoda tree’s flower buds (huai mi) are one of the world’s principal industrial sources of rutin, with the flavonoid comprising up to about 20 per cent of the dried buds; the semi-synthetic derivative troxerutin, made from it, is used in Europe for chronic venous insufficiency. Rutin and quercetin strengthen capillaries and reduce their permeability, which matches the drug’s traditional use for bleeding haemorrhoids and blood-streaked stool. The Chinese Pharmacopoeia lists both the flower bud and the fruit. Note that the seeds and pods are considered more toxic and are not the medicinal part.
Research touching on Sophora japonica ranges from the botany of the pea family to practical horticulture, including seed handling, propagation and the selection of superior forms. Sophora root has a real and distinguished place in research. It retains a following among breeders and collectors, which keeps seed stocks in circulation.
Uses & Benefits
Sophora Root works well in borders, containers and dedicated beds. Ecologically, sophora is a generous tree of warm gardens and the streets. To raise sophora, sow seeds in pots of moist, open compost in a bright, cool place, keep them gently watered, and grow little trees on in the light. Once it has its roots down, it more or less looks after itself.
Sophora is a pharmacopoeia in itself: Sophora flavescens root, Ku Shen, is a major Chinese heat-clearing herb for skin and gut, its matrine alkaloids widely studied, while the pagoda tree’s flower buds, Huai Mi, supply rutin by the ton for vascular supplements.
Growing from Seed
Sow fresh seed of Sophora Root under ordinary good conditions. Scatter the seed evenly over a loose seed compost, cover to no more than its own depth, and keep the pot moist and bright. Grow the youngsters on steadily in pots until well rooted, then move them to their final positions.
Our Take
It grows as a medium-sized, deciduous tree, so its place in the garden is easy to plan. In a sunny, freely drained position it needs little looking after.
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