Dirca palustris Leather wood (Thymelaeaceae) Deciduous shrub

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

The Dirca palustris plant species is found in Eastern N. America - New Brunswick to Florida, west to Louisiana and Minnesota. 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 palustris
Common Name:  Leather wood
Family:  Thymelaeaceae
Author:  L.

Known Hazards:  Contact with the plant can cause severe dermatitis with redness, blistering and sores in some people[222].

Mature Height:  1.8   Mature Width:

Habitat:  Rich deciduous or mixed woods[43] in moist situations, often on calcareous soils[200].

General Uses: 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]. A compound infusion of the roots has been used as a wash to strengthen the hair and make it grow[257].

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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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