Plant · P-963

Ramie

Boehmeria nivea

Ramie is a tall, clump-forming perennial cultivated across warm Asia for millennia for the exceptionally strong, moth-resistant fibre in its inner bark - among the longest and strongest of any plant fibre, well above cotton or silk. Its young leaves and thick storage roots are also eaten, boiled or made into rice cakes and a black dye. It wants rich, well-drained soil and full sun to part shade, is intolerant of standing water, and stays productive for seven to ten years or more once established.