Snow or frost can occur a few times a year where species of cold-tolerant Kadsura are endemic. Mountain passes into mountain villages are sometimes impassable. While temperatures are not comparable to the deep-freezes of the midwestern USA, freezes can often occur for the two coldest months of the year with low temperatures in the mid […]
Articles
There is no doubt that wild Kadsura has been harvested for 800 years or more. Documented use is harder to find but recorded collection data, dates back about 400 years. (see Saunders) In its native habitat, wild Kadsura is becoming increasingly difficult to find. Traces of these original plants in the forest still exist but […]
Dragon™ Vine Fruit for a Long Life of Beauty
Ancient statues of Confucius often portray the noble wise-man holding “the peach of immortality” in his hand. While Confucius’ beloved fruit is often regarded as the ‘peach of immortality’, Black surmises, on his blog dragonvines.com that, “Kadsura or Dragon™ Vine Fruit, is the actual fruit of immortality of which Confucious so wisely expounded upon.” And […]
Dragon™ Vine Pests and Disease
Dragon™ Vine pests and disease are limited as these plants have a strong resistance to disease. In China sometimes termites can harm the older roots or trunk and inchworms can do some damage to the leaves. In China, pests if any, are controlled by scattering lime ash from burnt plants or trees. Sometimes chrysanthemum flowers […]
Pruning and Training the Kadsura Dragon™ Vine
It is not necessary to prune the Kadsura Dragon™ Vine. However, If pruning is desired, prune about one month before they flower in the late winter and spring. Trimming extra branches or cutting out winter buds to create a more open structure for larger fruit production is sometimes recommended. Scaffolding or trellis When planting, a […]
Habitat for Growing the Kadsura Dragon™ Vine
The Kadsura Dragon™ Vine grows best in soils with moderate fertility, well-drained with neutral to acid soil, produce the fastest growth. It does excellent in semi-shade even deep shade. The roots of the Kadsura Dragon™ Vine tend to be shallow like kiwis, and since its native habitat receives rain in the summertime they benefit from […]
Kadsura Dragon™ Vine Flowers and Pollination
Dragon™ Vine Flowers are usually produced on the current year’s growth and are beautiful, rose-colored, 1 inch by 1 inch, and similar to plants in the magnolia family which is an ancient relative. Kadsura, as noted by Saunders, is found in fossil records by paleobotanist, in both North America and Europe, dating back tens of […]
Kadsura Dragon™ Vine Cultivation Range, Easy to Grow
Kadsura Dragon™ Vine cultivation management for the “God peach” is easier than most fruits. They can be grown similar to grapes or kiwi vines and are more pest-resistant than grapes. The plants do not require much pruning, are typically pest free of pest or disease. When growing in an open position it is recommended to […]
The Kadsura Dragon™ Vine Cultivation in the USA
In the early ’90s, a series of Kadsura Dragon™ Vine expeditions into the wilds of montane and subtropical China was made by Jerome Black, of Oregon, focusing his work in Guizhou, Hubei, Yunnan, Guangxi, and with indigenous hill tribes on the borders of Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam. After being arrested in China in 1991 and […]
Kadsura Dragon™ Vine Medicinal Properties
As a medicinal, the Kadsura Dragon™ Vine’s roots and stems can reduce swelling and pain, used for the treatment of stomach disease, rheumatism, bone pain, and as a poultice to reduce bruises. Dragon™ Vine Fruit and dried vines are also considered to be aphrodisiac, pectoral, and referred to by the Chinese as ‘Tonic Yin Medicine’. […]