<i>Schisandra</i>: planting, berry harvest, care
Contents
Schisandra in a nutshell
- Schisandra is a deciduous Asian liana, very hardy.
- It produces beautiful flowering, white or red, in late spring to early summer and, in autumn, edible berries, described as “five-flavoured”, with medicinal properties.
- It thrives in partial shade, sheltered from scorching sun, for example at the edge of woodland.
- It needs soil that stays cool and moist, as it dislikes drought.
- It can be trained to climb trees, and can also be guided over a pergola or a trellis…
A Word from Our Expert
Schisandra is a climbing plant native to Asia that produces beautiful red or white flowers in late spring. They are followed by edible berries, sometimes called ‘five-flavour berries’, which have many medicinal properties and are used in traditional Chinese medicine. They are also very decorative, forming clusters of rounded fruits in a vivid red! Several species are cultivated: notably Schisandra chinensis, the species most used for its berries, Schisandra grandiflora, which has elegant white flowers, and Schisandra rubriflora, with red flowers. They are vigorous lianas that you can train to climb trees, or lead over a pergola or a trellis… Schisandra is still relatively uncommon in gardens. It is not very well known.
Schisandra prefers partial shade and should be sheltered from the sun during the hottest hours. Although it enjoys good light and tolerates dappled sun, it needs its base to be in shade. It prefers soil that stays cool and does not dry out. It is quite hardy, tolerating between -15 and -25 °C, depending on variety, which allows cultivation even in fairly cold regions. It requires very little care. It is robust and vigorous, and can reach up to 10 metres in height.
Botany
Botanical data
- Latin name Schisandra sp.
- Family Schisandraceae
- Common name Schisandra, Schizandra, five-flavour berry
- Flowering depending on variety, between May and July
- Height up to 10 metres
- Exposure partial shade
- Soil type fertile, rich in humus, moist
- Hardiness between -15 and -20 °C
Schisandra are deciduous or evergreen climbing plants native to eastern Asia. Around 25 species are recognised, found in China, Myanmar, India and Mongolia. They sometimes grow in mountain areas up to over 2,000 metres altitude, which probably explains their excellent hardiness. Centre of diversity is in China, where berries of this liana have long been used for medicinal purposes. One species originates from United States: Schisandra coccinea. In the wild, Schisandra grows in understorey, on moist soils, sometimes beside watercourses. Its voluble stems enable it to climb trees and surrounding bush.
Schisandra berry (notably S. chinensis) is also called “five-flavour berry”. It is sometimes spelled Schizandra. In English it is known as Magnolia Vine.
Schisandra belongs to family Schisandraceae (formerly Illiciaceae). This small family includes only 73 species in three genera: Illicium, Kadsura and Schisandra. Star anise (Illicium verum), a spice and medicinal plant, also belongs to this family, as does Kadsura japonica, an Asian climbing plant that can be mistaken for Schisandra and also produces white flowers and red berries.
Schisandra is voluble. It twines its shoots around supports by itself, enabling it to gain height. In good growing conditions, it can reach up to 10 metres, but growth is fairly slow. Young shoots are green and tender, then lignify and form wood, taking on a reddish hue. Petioles and veins on underside of leaves often have a pinkish-red tint.
Schisandra chinensis: Botanical illustration
Schisandra leaves are simple, entire, generally ovate in shape, with lamina margin sometimes dentate. Leaves are fairly ordinary, measuring between 5 and 15 cm in length. They are arranged alternately along stems.
Leaves of cultivated species are deciduous, falling in autumn with cold and reappearing in spring when temperatures warm.
Flowering occurs in spring or early summer, between May and July depending on variety. Flowers can be a striking red, as in Schisandra rubriflora, white, or even yellow (S. henryi). Schisandra grandiflora is notable for elegant, strongly scented white flowers. Flowers of Schisandra chinensis are also white but more discreet and smaller, with thinner petals.
Flowers are borne on a long peduncle and are trailing, facing the ground. They may be solitary or gathered in clusters. They are axillary, inserted in leaf axils. Flower buds are very rounded and open gently to reveal stamens or pistil. Petals are convex, concave in shape. Flowers are very soft and delicate, cup-shaped, measuring up to 2–3 cm in diameter. They bear between 5 and 12 tepals (undifferentiated sepals or petals) arranged in two ranks.
Flowers, notably those of Schisandra grandiflora, are pleasantly scented.
Flowers are unisexual: either male or female. Male flowers bear stamens and release pollen that fertilises female flowers by settling on the pistil, allowing fruit development.
Schisandra is dioecious: individual plants are either male or female. Only female plants produce fruit. To obtain fruit, plant both male and female young plants to enable pollination.
Flowering of Schisandra chinensis, Schisandra grandiflora and Schisandra rubriflora
In late summer or early autumn, Schisandra produces fleshy, rounded berries of bright red colour. They are generally 5–6 mm in diameter, borne in clusters and very decorative. Clusters measure between 3 and 20 cm in length. Each fruit contains between one and three seeds.
Fruits are harvested in early autumn, around September–October. Berries of Schisandra chinensis are mainly used. They can be eaten fresh but are usually dried. Called “five-flavour berries” because they combine sweet, bitter, salty, sour and spicy tastes, they can be made into juices, infusions, tinctures and added to salads. Commercially they are also available in capsule form. Used in Chinese medicine, they are known as Wu Wei Zi.
Schisandra berries have numerous medicinal properties. They are adaptogenic and stimulating, help revitalise the body, improve resistance to stress and combat fatigue. They enhance endurance and physical and mental performance, and may have beneficial effects on memory and concentration. They are also considered aphrodisiac and may increase libido. Berries have hepatoprotective effects. Nutritionally, Schisandra berry is rich in vitamins, trace elements and amino acids, and contains phytoestrogens. It should not be consumed by pregnant women.
Flowers and fruits of Schisandra chinensis (photos VoDeTan2 / Vladimir Kosolapov)
Main varieties of Schisandra
Most popular varieties
Schisandra chinensis
- Flowering time June, July
- Height at maturity 8 m
Schisandra grandiflora
- Flowering time June, July
- Height at maturity 6 m
Schisandra rubriflora
- Flowering time June, July
- Height at maturity 3 m
Discover other Schisandra
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Available in 1 sizes
Available in 1 sizes
Available in 1 sizes
Available in 1 sizes
Planting Schisandra
Where to plant?
As Schisandra naturally grows in the woodland understorey, best to place it in partial shade. It prefers to have at least the base in shade, and if possible the rest of the foliage in sun. You can also plant it so it benefits from morning sun but is shaded during hottest part of afternoon. Avoid in all cases the scorching sun. Feel free to position it on woodland edge. You can then easily train it to climb trees. A good option is also to grow it against a wall, in a sheltered, shaded spot.
As it likes soils that remain cool, Schisandra will enjoy proximity to a pond or stream. Schisandra appreciates cool, humus-rich, fertile, deep soils. It does not like dry, poor ground. Schisandra tolerates heavy, clay soils. It prefers forest-type soils, as found in understorey. It also has a preference for slightly acidic soils.
Schisandra is quite hardy, it does not need protection in winter. And can be grown even under relatively cold climate, for example in mountainous areas.
You can train Schisandra to climb a trellis, a tree, a pergola, an arch, a garden bower… It is also possible to espalier Schisandra on horizontal wires. It can also climb a trellis against a wall. Provide a suitably large support. Remember it can reach up to 10 m in height.
→ Discover how plant your Schisandra in pot and how to prune and train Schisandra in Pascale’s advice sheets
When to plant?
Plant Schisandra preferably in spring, around May, or otherwise in autumn (September-October). We recommend planting in mild, slightly overcast weather, avoiding frost periods or extreme heat.
How to plant?
To enjoy Schisandra fruits, we recommend planting at least one young male and one young female plant, as this will allow pollination.
- Place rootball in a basin filled with water, to allow rehydration
- Dig a planting hole, two to three times size of rootball
- Put at bottom some soil mixed with well-rotted compost
- Place Schisandra in planting hole.
- Replace soil all around rootball.
- You can install staking or a trellis, and train its shoots onto it.
- Water thoroughly.
In weeks following planting, continue to water regularly.
Schisandra rubriflora (photo Leonora Enking)
Berry care and harvest
Water regularly, at least during first year after planting, as Schisandra is sensitive to drought. It is important that soil remains cool, even moist. We also recommend applying a layer of organic mulch around its base.
Do not hesitate to add well-rotted compost to enrich soil. Indeed, Schisandra appreciates fertile soils rich in organic matter. Also, this will improve soil structure, increasing its water retention capacity.
Apart from these precautions, Schisandra requires very little maintenance. It is not very susceptible to diseases and pests, but may nevertheless be affected by powdery mildew.
Harvest of Schisandra berries takes place around September–October. You can eat them fresh or dry them for storage and then use them as an infusion. You can also harvest berries to extract seeds and try sowing, but this can be somewhat tricky.
Schisandra berries
Propagation
Schisandra can be multiplied by sowing or by propagation by cuttings. In all cases, this liana is not easy to propagate and germination or rooting rates are fairly low. In addition, plants obtained from sowing will take several years before producing berries. For Schisandra propagation by cuttings, take either herbaceous cuttings in spring, around May–June, or semi-ripe cuttings at end of summer.
Sowing
You can sow Schisandra in spring, or in autumn using freshly harvested seeds.
Seeds are somewhat tricky to germinate. They require cold stratification, which you can achieve by placing them in the refrigerator before sowing. As germination rate is fairly low, we recommend sowing a larger number of seeds than you would for other plants.
- Prepare a pot with potting compost.
- Sow Schisandra seeds.
- Cover them with a thin layer of substrate, then press down gently.
- Water with a fine spray.
- Place the pot under a cold frame in a bright location but out of direct sunlight.
- Continue to water regularly so the substrate stays moist but not waterlogged.
Association
As Schisandra prefers shaded positions and rich, cool soil, it will fit perfectly in a woodland garden. You can recreate a natural-looking scene by planting alongside decorative-leaved plants such as the ferns, Paris polyphylla, Brunnera macrophylla… Also enjoy dense, groundcover foliage of Pachysandra! For delicate flowerings, choose Geranium nodosum, corydalis, astrantias, Solomon’s seal, bleeding hearts… You can include grasses such as woodrushes, sedges, Hakonechloa macra… Also discover the superb Cornus canadensis, a groundcover dogwood that offers large, beautiful white flowers made of four bracts, and decorative foliage that turns red in autumn.
Schisandra is a liana that integrates perfectly into woodland gardens! You can pair it with other plants that enjoy cool, shaded conditions. Here, in order, Paris polyphylla, Geranium nodosum, Schisandra grandiflora (photo Peganum), Polygonatum odoratum, and Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’
You can also pair Schisandra with other climbing plants. Discover for example Akebia quinata, which offers attractive, finely divided, light-green foliage and an unusual spring flowering. Its berries are edible! You can also plant clematis, which, like Schisandra, appreciate having their base in shade and the rest of the foliage in sun. Also discover Kadsura japonica, another Asian climber in the same style as Schisandra.
You can associate Schisandra with trees and bushes that it can climb. Plant at base of fruit tree and train into its canopy. Also make use of bushes with edible fruit! You can pair it with persimmon, pawpaw, raspberries, mulberries, blue honeysuckle, Lycium barbarum (which produces Goji berries!)… Pair it with plants that, like it, produce unusual, medicinal and highly nutritious berries.
Do not hesitate to plant perennials at its feet. This will also help shade Schisandra’s base and keep soil cool – all it needs! Enjoy for example hardy geraniums, heucheras or hostas…
Useful resources
- Discover our range of Schisandra
- Schisandra on the Plantes et botanique site, with extensive botany information on the various species
Frequently asked questions
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My schisandra is not fruiting, or is producing too little fruit — why?
First, Schisandra is a dioecious plant: only female young plants can produce fruit. And to produce fruit, they need to be pollinated by male young plants. So, to obtain fruit, we recommend planting several young plants of both sexes.
Also, conditions may not be optimal for Schisandra: it needs rich, humus-bearing, cool soil, and berries develop better when plants receive good light and some sun. If your ground is poor and dry, or shade is too dense, Schisandra will struggle to set fruit. Don’t hesitate to add organic matter and mulch around the base of the plant.
Finally, your young plant may be too young. When obtained from sowing, young plants need at least three to four years before they start producing fruit. Be patient.
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