Practical
Plants

Pimelea arenaria

a perennial woody evergreen member of the Pimelea genus in the family Thymelaeaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Pimelea
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Height
0.2 m
Spread
0.5 m
Fertility
self sterile
Flower type
dioecious

Uses

Edible uses

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

Fruit[2][3][4]. The fruit is about 3mm in diameter[6]. No more details are given.

Plant part
Fruit

Material uses

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

A fibre obtained from the stems is used as a tying material[3].

Product or use
Fibre

Environment

Range
New Zealand.
Habitat
Coastal dunes and hollows all over North, South and Chatham Islands[7].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 9+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
very acid, 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 - we have no information on this species but suggest sowing the seed in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe in the autumn if this is possible, otherwise in early spring. 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. Give the plants some protection from the cold for at least their first winter outdoors. Cuttings of half-ripe wood with a heel, July/August in a frame[6]. Softwood cuttings 5cm long in late spring[6].

Cultivation

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

Prefers a lime-free peaty well-drained loam[1][6] in a sunny position[5]. This species is not very hardy in Britain, the plants usually require greenhouse protection but could succeed outdoors in the mildest areas of the country. A very ornamental plant[1] but it is rather slow growing[6]. Flowers are produced on the tips of the previous seasons growth. Plants may suffer from sudden die back. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

References

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

    ↩1↩2

  2. 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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2

  4. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩

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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

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

    ↩

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