We are taking a break from the heat. We will resume shipping plants starting in September. Feel free to pre-order plants for your fall garden. First come, first served.
Schisandra, Official (Schisandra chinensis) potted vine, organic
$30.00
Family: Magnolia (Magnoliaceae)
Hardy to Zones 4 to 8
(Wu-wei-zi, Matrimony Vine, Magnolia Vine) Perennial woody vine. Native to Manchuria, northeastern China and Japan. The odoriferous pink or white flowers give way to bright red fruit which droops down in clusters from the vine. This is known as the many-flavored berry. The taste is sour. Traditional usage (TCM): appetite stimulant, immune-enhancement. Vine prefers moist soils and dappled shade, and really prefers to sprangle on the ground instead of climbing a trellis. Space 3 feet apart.
Potted plant, Certified Organically Grown
Out of stock
Question
Anna Hackman –
I have tried for 2 years to grow this plant from seed. It takes forever to germinate, which I am okay with it. It looks tiny but very cute (4 leaves) all through the summer. First year, I brought them inside and they lost their leaves. Then they died. I tried again the second year and it look very cute again and planted it in a raised garden bed over the winter in September. It lost its leave again in October. I am not worried that it won’t live through the winter and fingers are crossed that it will come back again in the spring. Planted more seeds this year since I never quit until I get it right. What am I doing wrong? Don’t take in again indoors? Leave it in the raised bed from September on? I am zone 6.
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Richo Cech –
Hi Anna,
Schisandra is challenging at every stage of growth. I would rather focus on what you’re doing right. Once they are past the seedling stage, the plants are much more comfortable planted in acidic soil in the semi-shade with a good mulch of peat, coir or rotted leaves. Sounds like your young plants are dropping leaves after first frost which is normal. As long as the reddish-brown vine remains pliable and well budded, then it will overwinter and throw leaves again in the spring. Some people trellis, others swear its better to let them run. I trellis, and have seen a gradual increase in girth, run and vigor from year to year. One thing that I notice is that the plants teach me, and so I follow their advice, what they like and what they abhor, and then with patience, rewards eventually follow.
Richo
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Kathy Andrews (verified owner) –
i purchased 3 potted and you advise to keep under Halide light…thou they came with beginning nodules and a few startings of notiusable 1/16″ or less green buds none have opened.. How long normally would that take …could i put them out in a poly covered sun only greenhouse? i live in zone 5-6b depending on which site you look at…want to also know if i can plant outdoors in a semi shade (mulched) for winter when the time comes. Thankyou 🙂
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Richo Cech –
Hi Kathy, Honestly I’ve never told anybody to put a plant under a halide light, you must have gotten that somewhere else. Especially not schisandra–they are going to need a cool, moist shade situation outdoors and then they will unfurl their leaves.
Richo
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Question
Emily –
I’m interested in your schisandra berry vine, but need a male and female to produce fruit. Is this something I can purchase from you? Thanks!
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Admin Richo Cech –
Hi Emily,
Contrary to popular misconception, Schisandra is self-fertile.
Richo
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Question
Michelle –
Hi! I’ve run across info that says in order to get fruit from a schisandra plant one must have a male and female plant. Is this the case? What is the minimum number I should plant to get berries, in your experience? Thanks!
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Admin Richo Cech –
Horticulturalists used to think schisandra was dioecious but now have confirmed that they are self-fertile. I plant mine 3 to a trellis and am looking forward to picking my first berries this year. It took 3 years for the plants to achieve sufficient size.
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Question
Sandra Fonda –
Is this plant available yet?
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Admin Richo Cech –
Hio Sandra,
I’m just waiting for the overwintered plants to break dormancy before listing. Check back on 3/26/19. Next year (2020) we’re going to have an endless supply of these.
Richo
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Ellen Stacy –
I am interested in one of these plants as well. Have they broken dormancy? Thanks.
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Admin Richo Cech –
Ellen,
OK, thanks, you’re on the list. They have not really broken dormancy, buds swelling. richo
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Sandra Fonda –
Are these plants available yet
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Admin Richo Cech –
Almost, all of them need to come out of dormancy before we list.
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Question
Sandra –
when will this plant be available
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Admin Richo Cech –
I am working up some nice ones and will endeavor to e-mail you when they go on sale.
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Sandra Fonda –
are these plants available yet?
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Admin Richo Cech –
As of 2/13/2019, no plants are available for shipment–we do not start shipping until March 15 and the available slots for early shipping have been filled. We’ll enable Schisandra when the plants come out of dormancy and look good–we’ll endeavor to give you an e-mail at that time.
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Debbie L –
I would love to order, please email me when they are available, I’d like to order 2!
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Admin Richo Cech –
OK, I will try to scroll through here and send e-mails when the schisandra plants go online.
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Question
Mandy Katz –
Hi! Will you be offering this again?
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Admin Richo Cech –
We have plants in process and will be releasing them for sale when they size up, hopefully in 2019
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Rachel –
can you please let me know when these beautiful plants are ready for purchasing. Thank you.
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Admin Richo Cech –
Yes!
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tabreaux –
From Alabama, USA, Zone 7/8, Elev. 600′: This species is clearly oriented toward a more temperate environment than our native S. glabra and four subtropical Asian Schisandra sp. also here. Earlier to break dormancy in the spring than the others, this species thrives during our brief, but cool, moist springtimes with considerable direct sunlight. When the dog days of summer arrive here, growth slows, and both sunlight and watering need to be decreased accordingly. Regions with longer, cooler springtimes will observe faster growth and maturity than observed here, which explains why this species is cultivated primarily in the more temperate regions of China. As Richo noted, Schisandra sp. are not dioecious (males and females) or self-infertile as widely (and erroneously) believed, but female flowers are produced only when the plant has sufficient energy to sustain the development of fruit and seeds that follow.
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