Practical
Plants

Astelia alpina

a perennial member of the Astelia genus in the family Asteliaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Astelia
Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.3 m
Fertility
self sterile
Flower type
dioecious

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Fruit - raw. Sweet, fleshy and juicy, it is pleasant to eat[1][2][3][4]. Leaf base[2][4]. No more details.

Plant part
Fruit
Plant part
Leaves

Environment

Range
Australia - New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania.
Habitat
Mountain moorlands, especially in boggy situations, in the alpine and sub-alpine zones[2].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow late winter in a greenhouse. Germination can be very slow, sometimes taking more than 12 months. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in light shade for at least the first winter in a greenhouse. Plant out in late spring or early summer once they are 15cm or more tall. Division in spring[5].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it could succeed outdoors at least in the milder parts of this country. It survives temperatures down to at least -7°c in Australian gardens[3] but this cannot be directly translated to British gardens because of our cooler summers and longer colder and wetter winters. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Requires a damp humus-rich fertile soil in sun or semi-shade, sheltered from cold drying winds[5]. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

References

  1. Cribb. A. B. and J. W. Wild Food in Australia. Fontana 1976-00-00 ISBN 0-00-634436-4

    ↩

  2. Ewart. A. J. Flora of Victoria.

    ↩1↩2↩3

  3. Wrigley. J. W. and Fagg. M. Australian Native Plants. Collins. (Australia) 1988-00-00 ISBN 0-7322-0021-0

    ↩1↩2

  4. Crowe. A. Native Edible Plants of New Zealand. Hodder and Stoughton 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-340-508302

    ↩1↩2

  5. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2

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