Dodecandrum Melastoma (Melastoma dodecandrum)

Family: Melastomataceae | Edibility: Edible (1/5)

Melastoma dodecandrum is an evergreen Shrub growing to 0.3 m (1ft). It is in leaf all year, in flower from June to July, and the seeds ripen from August to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Leaves

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Fall, Late Summer, Spring

Flavor & Culinary Uses

None known. — Harvested fresh in season according to PFAF botanical monograph.

Habitat & North American Range

Virgin wilds on hillsides. Open fields, grassland, trailsides and thickets to elevations of 1300 metres in. Anhui, Fujian, Guizhou, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Jiangxi and Zhejiang Provinces. (Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8)