climate
Fo ti grows along the banks of streams and in valley shrub thickets in sun or part shade.
soil
Fo ti grows in an ordinary garden soil but prefers a moisture retentive not too fertile soil.
growing
Sow seeds in spring in a cold frame. Germination is usually easy. When they
are large enough to handle, transplant the seedlings into individual pots
and plant them in the summer if they have reached sufficient size. If not,
over winter in a cold frame and plant out the following spring after the
last expected frosts. Propagate by division in spring or autumn.
harvesting
Fo ti roots are harvested in the autumn, preferably from plants 3-4
years old, and are dried for later use as slices or a powder.
preserving
Store dried Fo ti powder or dried Fo ti slices in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
Please note: Our Fo-Ti Slices and powder have been cured by simmering
in a black bean liquid. These are not unprocessed roots.
Fo-ti (Polygonum multiflorum), also known as fo-ti-tieng and Chinese
knotweed, is a vine native to China, Japan and Taiwan. In fact, the Mandarin
Chinese word for fo-ti is he shou wu, which means, “black-haired man.” This
name is in reference to the Chinese herbalist, Li Ching Yuen, who allegedly
consumed fo-ti daily and lived until the age of 132 years—or 197, or 256,
depending on which version of the story you care to subscribe to. Although
it is clearly established that Li left this world on May 6, 1933, exactly
how long he inhabited remains a mystery. Some Imperial Chinese government
records show his birth occurring in 1677, although Li maintained that he
wasn’t born until 1736. Yet, the man was photographed while visiting the
home of Chinese General Yang Sen in 1927, which prompted the general to
record the event in a document titled, A Factual Account of the 250
Year-Old Good-Luck Man.
Several articles appearing in Time magazine and The New York Times in the
1920s and 1930s reported on Li’s secrets to long life, which included
keeping a tranquil mind, sitting like a tortoise, walking spritely like a
pigeon and sleeping like a dog.