Schisandra chinensis

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Schisandra chinensis

Family: (Schisandraceae)

Vine to 29′. Five Flavour Berry. Not only an attractive, hardy and unusual vine for a trellis or pergola but an intriguing plant with a rich history in Chinese herbology. The common name speaks to the fact that the berries possess the five basic flavours – salty, sweet, sour, pungent (spicy), and bitter. It is used widely in China and Russia to produce juices, extracts, wine and sweets and is considered one of the 50 fundamental herbs in Chinese herbalism. The deciduous leaves are a deep, glossy green, elliptic to ovate, and up to 5-½ inches long. Leaf margins are somewhat variable and described as cuneate, denticulate or serrate. Wonderfully fragrant, half inch, pale rose to bright pink flowers occur in axillary clusters on pendulous one-inch long pedicels. Small, scarlet-red fruits borne in dense, hanging clusters to four inches long, ripen in autumn. Berries, leaves and bark have a lemon-like aroma. Plants are dioecious, requiring male and female plants present in order for seed to develop. Blooms late spring and early summer. Sun to partial shade, moist, humus-rich, but well-drained soil. 2, 3 & 6A