Eleutherococcus senticosus, Siberian Ginseng,Ciwujia, Eleuthero 250 seeds

Eleutherococcus senticosus, Siberian Ginseng seeds

 

You will receive 40 berries of E. senticosus, which contain about 250 seeds.

Eleutherococcus senticosus belongs to the family of the Araliaceae, the aralia family. E. senticosus is native to Southeast Siberia, but is occurs also in China, Japan and North Korea. E. senticosus is also known as Siberian Ginseng.
The Siberian Ginseng grows as a shrub and reaches a height of 2 to 7 m. It has just a few branches. The branches have many short thorns. They protect E. senticosus from herbivory. The leaves are palmate. The leaflets of the palmate leaf have different sizes, but they are all ovate and simple. The venation is clearly visible. The leaves have a long petiole that is a little darker than the rest of the leaf. The Siberian Ginseng is green during summer time and loses its leaves in fall.
The flowers of E. senticosus are small, actinomorphic, hermaphrodite and yellow. They are clustered in umbels. The fruits are dark blue to black.
The root of the Siberian Ginseng is used in medicine. Therefore the root is harvested at the end of the vegetation period. In China the root is used since 2000 years against tiredness and stress. In Europe the root is used since the 20th century. The Siberian Ginseng raises the achievement potential and strengthens concentration. Furthermore it strengthens the immune system. As an adaptogene it forces up the tolerance against stress. The effect is quite similar to the Ginseng although it contains different substances. In some studies side effects like headache were shown. In addition people with high blood pressure should not use the Siberian Ginseng.

 

Cultivation of Siberian Ginseng from seeds:

The cultivation of E. senticosus demands patience. The seeds need a cold period before they start to germinate. The cold period can be simulated in the fridge by storing them with some moist soil for at least 8-12 weeks at a temperature of about 3°C. Sometimes stratification should even take 1 year. Gibberellic acid (GA3) can be used to speed this process up. After that germination occurs at room temperature when the substrate is kept constantly moist. The germination time varies strongly. It can take two years until the first seedlings emerge. The adult plant is much easier to handle. It needs a semi shaded place and is quite robust. The Siberian Ginseng is winter hardy.