Debregeasia orientalis 'Hot Tai-male'

Debregeasia orientalis, aka; Yanagi Ichigo, is a new favorite here at PDN/JLBG, although it's highly unlikely most gardeners have even heard of the genus...partially because it was only named in 1991. This Boehmeria cousin, which is renowned as a source of high quality fiber, comes from plantsman Adam Black's Taiwanense collection. Our two-year-old plant is a massive 7' tall x 14' wide clump, composed of elegantly arching edible stems (if you're literally starved), clothed in 9" long x 1" wide deeply veined leaves, each backed in powdery white. Debregeasia 'Hot Tai-male' is a boy, but if you can locate a willing female debregeasia, you'll enjoy stalks clothed with unique, yellow, edible fruit (fresh or as a jam) in early summer. In NC, Debregeasia is a die-back perennial, preferring a moist, rich soil to grow its best. The foliage is fried by a light frost.