Wikstroemia sikokiana

Wikstroemia sikokiana is a shrub from central and southern Japan. It is deciduous, which means it sheds its leaves each year. Kew and RHS place it in the family Thymelaeaceae. Kew lists it as a plant of temperate climates. RHS calls this plant gampi. It is not native to Britain or Ireland. Plants For A Future also gives the name Diplomorpha sikokiana. RHS lists its name but marks its status as unresolved.

The shrub grows to about 6.6 feet (2 metres) tall. It does not keep its leaves all year. The sources give no mature width for plants in gardens. They give no leaf shape or colour details either. They note a use for bark but do not describe its looks. These records give few clues to help identify the plant by sight. They tell us more about its size and yearly leaf loss. They tell us less about how its parts look.

Plants For A Future says it flowers in May and June. Each flower has both male and female organs. The evidence does not name the insects that pollinate it. Nor does it name any other pollinators. It gives no flower colour or scent and no fruit details. The source lists seed as a way to grow new plants. It does not say when to sow the seed. Nor does it give any seed treatment. It thus supports growing plants from seed, but gives no detailed method.

Plants For A Future lists sun and partial shade for growing it. It suggests woodland edges and planted beds as places to grow it. The shrub prefers moist soil. The source says it accepts sandy, loamy, and clay soils. Soil can be mildly acid, neutral, or mildly alkaline. Plants For A Future lists USDA zones 8–11. Yet it also calls the shrub frost tender. These claims leave some doubt about how much garden cold it tolerates. The evidence gives no details of pests or diseases.

The bark can provide material to make paper. The records describe no other practical use. Plants For A Future lists no known food or medicinal uses. It rates both food and medicine uses at zero. It lists no known hazards, but this does not prove safety. The source also lists no weed potential for this species. Nothing here supports eating any part of the plant.