🎨 AI-generated botanical illustration
🌱 Ramie
Boehmeria nivea
fibers
perennial shrub
☀️ Sun
full sun to partial shade
💧 Water
high
🗺️ Zones
[7,8,9,10,11]
🧪 Soil pH
5.5-7.0
🪴 Soil Type
well-drained, rich loam
📏 Spacing
18-24 inches
📐 Height
4-8 ft
⏱️ Maturity
60-90 days per cutting (multiple harvests/year)
🤝 Companions (7)
🤝 Bean
Nitrogen-fixing companion for this fiber crop
🤝 Comfrey
Nutrient accumulator; ramie is heavy feeder
🤝 Comfrey
Nutrient accumulator; chop-and-drop attracts beneficial insects and potassium
🤝 Corn
Corn provides partial shade for young ramie plants
🤝 Pigeon Pea
Nitrogen fixer for ramie's voracious appetite
🤝 Pigeon Pea
Nitrogen-fixing support crop; ramie is extremely heavy nitrogen feeder
🤝 sunn hemp
Attracts beneficial insects and pollinators
⚠️ Keep Apart (1)
⚠️ none — but extremely heavy feeder; soil must be heavily amended annually
📝 Growing Notes
One of the oldest fiber crops — used in ancient Egypt for mummy wrappings. Strongest plant fiber (stronger when wet). Produces 3-6 harvests per year for 10+ years. Related to stinging nettle but non-stinging.
🛒 Buy Seeds & Plants
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
Johnny's Selected Seeds
Botanical Interests
True Leaf Market
Burpee
Territorial Seed Company
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