Dirca occidentalis Leather wood (Thymelaeaceae) Deciduous shrub

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Dirca occidentalis
Leather wood
Deciduous shrub
(1 Page of 5)

The Dirca occidentalis plant species is found in Southwestern N. America - California.. It is a member of the Thymelaeaceae family. Common gardeners may know the plant as Leather wood.

Cultivation | Propagation | General Uses
Medicinal | Edible Uses

Latin Name:  Dirca occidentalis
Common Name:  Leather wood
Family:  Thymelaeaceae
Author:  A.Gray.

Known Hazards:  None known

Mature Height:  1.8   Mature Width:

Habitat:  Moist situations, often on calcareous soils[200].

General Uses: The following uses are for the closely related D. palustris, they quite possibly also apply to this species[K]. The tough flexible shoots are used in basket making and as a tying material[1, 11, 43, 46, 95]. A rope can be made from the bark fibres[1, 11, 46, 61]. The bark fibres are also used in making paper[189]. The stems are harvested in summer, the leaves are removed and the stems steamed until the fibres can be stripped. The outer and inner barks are separated by scraping or peeling. The fibres are cooked for 2 hours or less with soda ash and then beaten with mallets or put through a blender. The paper is greenish cream in colour[189].

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Cultivation | Propagation | General Uses
Medicinal | Edible Uses

The information above has been supplied solely via the hard work and dedication of the team at 'Plants for a Future'.
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