Boehmeria nivea (Ramie)
$12.00
Ramie
Plants that give beauty, food, clothing, and building material are such a marvel.
Ramie is most well known for its excellent strong fiber harvested from the inner bark of the stems. These fibers are used for making anything from clothing to fire hoses and paper. The fiber has excellent tensile strength, 7x stronger than silk and 8x stronger than cotton!, is resistant to shrinkage and has anti mildew, antibacterial and anti fungal properties. The leaves and roots are edible. The leaves have a pleasant sweet taste and are used in making cakes. As a bonus it has many medicinal and health benefits. An all around useful plant!
On top of all this usefulness, ramie is also grown as an ornamental plant. The leaves are quite beautifully textured and shimmer in the light. When they move in the breeze the white undersides are revealed. Cream colored tassel like flowers adorn the plant in the summer. A beautiful, quiet plant that adds to any garden in full to part shade. It even has a place in the vegetable garden 
Full-part sun. Height and Spread 8-10′. Zones 7-9.
4.5″ pot