Schisandra Berries Offer Medicinal Benefits

Schisandra Berries Offer Medicinal Benefits CROPS New Crops If you’re looking for a new challenge you might consider Schisandra berries especially if you are interested in fruits with herbal and medicinal benefits The perennial vine bears clusters of pea-size red berries and is hardy in Zones 4-8 “It’s not as vigorous as wild grapevine but it needs support even as simple as a single wire trellis ” says Jesse Stevens owner of Sy’s Trees in Oxford County Maine He starts plants from seed and sells 2 or 3-year-old plants He also has a row of Schisandra in his 2-acre orchard that’s filled with more than 100 species of woody tree crops including exotic fruits and nuts along with common fruit trees Schisandra is native to Asia and referred to as the Five Flavor berry because it’s sweet salty bitter pungent and sour While some growers say they like the flavor of the berries and leaves Stevens says it has a tart piney flavor and Schisandra fruit is mostly used by herbalists The berries ripen in late summer or early fall and he dries them for a tea additive and makes tincture for a mild tonic as an energy boost “I grow in a no-spray environment because I want to see what they do in typical conditions ” he says Schisandra is fairly easy to grow and bears fruit in 3 or 4 years Its shallow fibrous root system requires it to be in root-free soil with organic matter Stevens uses deep mulch to keep the plant cool at the base Though one Schisandra vine pollinates itself Stevens recommends buying two plants in case one dies He also suggests that people interested in new crops consider arctic kiwi which is also a viny plant It requires some shade and bears smooth grape-size fruit that tastes like kiwi He ships plants and bare roots in the spring and fall from his Maine orchard Schisandra plants sell for $25 Email him for a list of all available plants and prices Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Sy’s Trees Oxford County Maine ph 207-595-9723 systrees@gmail com

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