Meliosma parviflora Seeds | Small-flowered Meliosma
LATIN NAME: Meliosma parviflora
COMMON NAME: Small-Flowered Meliosma
Plant Profile
Small-flowered meliosma is a deciduous tree of the sabia family, native to the warm forests of eastern Asia, where it grows to fifteen metres with a spreading crown. Its leaves are large, oblong and strongly veined, and in early summer it produces long, drooping panicles of tiny white flowers with a sweet scent.
The fruit that follows is a small black drupe, taken by birds in autumn. The tree is uncommon in cultivation, and it is grown by collectors for its long flower clusters rather than for any showy display. The bark is grey and smooth, and the crown is broad and flat-topped in old trees.
Science & Biotechnology
The family Sabiaceae is of interest to botanists because its position among the flowering plants has been disputed, and recent genomic work has placed it near the Proteales. Research on Meliosma has looked at its floral structure, which is unusual in having stamens with a petal-like staminode.
The insects that visit the long flower clusters have been recorded in Chinese forests, and the tree’s seed dispersal by birds has been studied there. Its wood anatomy has also been described, since the timber is light and soft and is used locally for boxes and small items.
Uses & Benefits
In the garden it is grown as a specimen tree for a large border or a woodland garden, where the long flower clusters and the scent are the attraction. The tree is uncommon in cultivation, and it is mostly grown by collectors of Asian woody plants.
Its wood is soft and used locally for small items, and the bark has a place in regional medicine. In its native forests it is one of the trees that flower in early summer, when the canopy is full and most other species have finished.
It is also planted in parks in southern China, where its spreading crown gives shade and its scent carries across a path in June. The flowers are visited by bees, so the tree is useful in a garden where pollinators matter.
Growing from Seed
Sow fresh seed in autumn, cleaning off the flesh, and stratify for three months. Germination is often in the second spring. Plant out in part shade in deep, moist, well-drained soil, and water in the first two summers.
The tree needs shelter from strong wind, which tears the large leaves, and it resents drought. Mulch with leaf mould, and prune only to remove dead or crossing branches, since the crown forms naturally. In a cool climate it needs the shelter of a wall or a canopy of taller trees, since late frost blackens the young leaves. Water in dry spells during its first three summers, and mulch with leaf mould.
Our Take
A tree for the collector, with long scented flower clusters in early summer and a spreading crown of handsome leaves. It is not easy to find, but it is worth the search.
Related Reading
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