Practical
Plants

Cyathodes fasciculata

a perennial woody evergreen member of the Cyathodes genus in the family Epacridaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Growth rate
slow
Height
4 m
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Edible uses

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

Fruit - a sweet mealy flesh. Sweet and juicy according to another report[4].

Plant part
Fruit

Environment

Range
New Zealand.
Habitat
Forest and scrub from the coast to the lower montane zone on North and South Islands, south to latitude 44°s[8][4].
Shade tolerance
partial shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

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

Seed - surface sow in ericaceous soil, February/March in a cold frame[3]. Do not exclude light[3]. Germination can take place within 1 - 2 months at 18°c but often takes 3 - 5 years[7]. Scarification will reduce the germination time and 2 or 3 periods of 4 - 6 weeks cold stratification alternated with 4 weeks warm stratification can also help[5]. Perhaps sowing the seed as soon as it is ripe would also be beneficial[K].The seedlings can be very slow to form roots and need to be potted up with great care[7]. Grow them on in a greenhouse for at least two years before planting them out in late spring or early summer. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame[6]. Neither easy nor reliable[7]. Air layering[7].

Cultivation

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

Requires a moist well-drained lime-free humus rich soil in a sheltered site in partial or dappled shade[1][3][7]. Plants are very susceptible to drought[7]. A good rock garden plant. Slow growing[1]. This plant is not very hardy in Britain though it might succeed outdoors in the milder areas of the country. Plants grow best in areas with moderate winters and cool moist summers[7]. Plants have very fine root systems and great care must be taken when transplanting them[2].

References

  1. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩

  3. Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan. 1990-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

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

    ↩1↩2

  5. Bird. R. (Editor) Focus on Plants. Volume 5. (formerly 'Growing from seed') Thompson and Morgan. 1991-00-00

    ↩

  6. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

  8. Allan. H. H. Flora of New Zealand. Government Printer, Wellington. 1961-00-00

    ↩

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