Practical
Plants

Phyllocladus alpinus

Alpine Celery Pine

a perennial woody evergreen member of the Phyllocladus genus in the family Podocarpaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Growth rate
slow
Height
9 m
Fertility
Wind
Flower type
monoecious
Pollinators
Wind

Uses

Material uses

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

Yields a red dye[3]. (from the bark?)

Product or use
Dye

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Secondary canopy

Environment

Range
New Zealand.
Habitat
Sub-alpine forest and scrub, 500 - 1500 metres, on North and South islands southwards from latitude 36° 50's[6].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 8+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
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 cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings in a sandy soil in a cool or slightly warm frame in spring.

Cultivation

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

Prefers a good loamy soil containing leaf mould[1]. Succeeds in a good open soil but if it is to thrive it needs copious rainfall, high humidity and warmer conditions than are normally found in Britain[2][5]. Plants are hardy but very slow growing in cultivation in Britain[7]. They tolerate temperatures down to about -20°c in one report[5] whilst another says -10°c[4]. A plant at Bedgebury in Kent was 3.3 metres tall in 1985[2].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2

  3. Brooker. S. G., Cambie. R. C. and Cooper. R. C. Economic Native Plants of New Zealand. Oxford University Press 1991-00-00 ISBN 0-19-558229-2

    ↩

  4. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs. Pan Books 1989-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30258-2

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩

  7. Rushforth. K. Conifers. Christopher Helm 1987-00-00 ISBN 0-7470-2801-X

    ↩

Edit this page