Buy 5 or more items and receive a 25% discount use coupon code: 25PERCENTOFF Leea macrophylla is a perennial plant with stems that becomes more or less woody. The plant is often shrub-like, and occasionally tree-like, growing from a tuberous rootstock. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and dye, It is planted in Sri Lanka for its medicinal use and also cultivated in Thaiand and Malaysia. Edible Uses : Leaves - cooked and eaten as a vegetable. Used as a famine food Medicinal : The roots are credited with anodyne properties. The root paste is consumed with a glass of milk as a single monthly dose for birth control. The powdered tuber is used as a treatment for sexual debility in males. The roots are applied externally as a poultice on wounds and sores, and also as a treatment for guineaworm and ringworm. The powdered leaves, mixed with honey, are used in the treatment of cancer. The bark powder is given orally as a treatment for cancer. There is a Thai folk story about a baby being wrapped in one of this plants leaves. This variety likes a high level of light, but will do reasonably well in up to 80% shade. Mature height of 6-10', like well drained soil, not water holding or soggy. Soak them overnight in water for planting the next day. The seeds, can also be stored in a dry cool place for sometime if you're not looking to plant immediately. Sow the seeds on the surface of the soil and then lightly dust them with a pinch of medium. Spray the top of the soil with a misting bottle and keep the medium lightly damp but not soggy. Once the seedlings appear, which may be as much as 90 days after planting, move the tray to a location with indirect but bright light. Re-potting the seedlings : The seedlings will need to be transplanted into larger 3-4" containers within a few months. You'll need to do this very carefully since the seedlings are very fragile at this point; they don't have much of a bulb at this point. Once you have re-planted them in a larger container, be sure to keep them moist again so they can re-establish themselves. It won't be much longer before the 3-4" potted plants will need to be moved into larger 4-6" pots. They will begin to grow quite rapidly at this stage, especially if kept in a humid and well lit environment. It won't be long before you can move them up to 1 gallon pots and then a few months later put them in the ground. When planting out you should give each plant at least 3 feet (1 meter) of space, average or better quality soil, monthly fertilization, frequent watering, Hardiness Zone: 7b and above. If the temperatures average below 40 to 45ºF (4 to 7ºC) for any extended period of time, please dig up the tuber in the fall and store it in a cool, dry place until you can replant it the following spring, when it will grow again.