Schisandra chinensis (common name: magnolia vine, schisandra) is a deciduous woody vine native to forests of Northern China and the Russian Far East. The plants are vigorous climbers and can reach 30 feet in length. Their leaves are fragrant, and in the spring they produce even more fragrant flowers. The plants are dioecious, which means you’ll need to plant both a male and a female plant in order to get fruit. In mid-summer, their berries ripen to deep red. Schisandra is sometimes called the five flavor fruit because its berries’ shells are sweet, their meat sour, their seeds bitter and tart, and their extract salty.

Despite the interesting flavor profile, Schizandra berries aren’t the kind of fruit that you want to mix with yogurt or add to cereal. They are, however, an excellent choice for making restorative teas, tonics and other preparations, especially in combination with other herbs with similar energetics.