Sarcandra glabra Seeds | Chloranthus Glaber
LATIN NAME: Sarcandra glabra
COMMON NAME: Sarcandra
Plant Profile
Sarcandra is an evergreen subshrub, 50-100 cm tall, with glossy, leathery, opposite leaves and small greenish flowers in spikes, followed by clusters of bright red berries that persist into winter. The plant forms a loose, open bush rather than a dense one.
It is grown for the berries, which are ornamental, and for the whole plant, which is used in Chinese medicine. The foliage stays green through the year in mild climates, and the plant is one of the few shade-tolerant evergreens that fruits reliably under trees.
Sarcandra glabra comes from southern China and south-east Asia, where it grows in the understorey of evergreen forest. That origin explains its need for shade, humidity and a soil rich in organic matter. In mild climates it can be clipped into a low hedge, since it responds well to light trimming in spring.
Science & Biotechnology
The plant contains terpenoids, flavonoids and coumarins, and extracts have shown anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity in laboratory studies. It is one of the herbs used in Chinese formulas for inflammation and for what is described as clearing heat and toxin.
Sarcandra is a member of the Chloranthaceae, an ancient family of flowering plants that sits near the base of the angiosperm tree. That position makes it interesting to evolutionary botanists, and the family’s simple flowers are studied as a model for early flower structure.
The red berries are produced on female plants, and the species is dioecious or polygamous depending on the population. That is worth knowing for growers, since a single plant may never fruit.
Uses & Benefits
The berries are grown for winter ornament and for cutting, and the foliage is used in arrangements. The whole plant is used in Chinese medicine, usually in formulas rather than alone, and it appears in patent medicines for sore throat and inflammation.
In the garden the plant is a shade-tolerant evergreen for a woodland border, and its red berries are a useful winter feature. Commercially the dried herb is traded in Chinese medicine markets, and the seed is sold to growers in warm climates. The berries are not for eating.
Growing from Seed
Sow in autumn, cleaned of the flesh, at 1 cm deep in a shady frame. Germination is slow and uneven, often two to four months. Fresh seed germinates far better than stored, and the seedlings are slow in their first year.
Plant out at 40 cm apart in deep shade or part shade, in soil rich in leaf mould that stays moist. Water regularly and mulch with compost. Protect from frost, since the plant is only hardy to about -5°C. Prune lightly after fruiting to keep the bush open, and grow several plants if fruit is wanted, since the species is not reliably self-fertile. Cuttings taken in early summer root readily and are faster than seed for keeping a good clone.
Our Take
A shade-loving evergreen with red winter berries, worth growing where the soil stays cool and the frost stays mild. Plant two if you want fruit.
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