Practical
Plants

Podocarpus totara

Totara

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

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Growth rate
slow
Height
30 m
Fertility
Self sterile, Wind
Flower type
dioecious
Pollinators
Wind

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

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

Superficially similar to Taxus species, but this plant is definitely not poisonous[11].

Edible uses

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

Fruit - raw or cooked[10][2][5][8]. Sweet and juicy but there is a hint of turpentine in its flavour, especially if it is not fully ripe[7]. The fruit is about 6mm in diameter[11].

Plant part
Fruit

Material uses

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

Wood - straight grained, reddish, very durable lasting a long time in water, but it can be brittle. Used for construction work and cabinet making[1][3][13][14][4].

Product or use
Wood

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Canopy

Environment

Range
New Zealand.
Habitat
Lowland, montane and sub-alpine forest on North, South and Stewart Islands[12].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 9+
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.

The seed can be sown at any time of the year in a sandy soil in a warm greenhouse, though it is probably best sown as soon as it is ripe[1]. 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 of half-ripe terminal shoots, 5 - 10cm long, July/August in a frame[15].

Cultivation

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

Prefers a rich moist non-alkaline soil[6]. This species is only hardy in the milder areas of Britain. Plants have succeeded in Suffolk and Argyll as well as in southern and western Britain but it is only in Cornwall and Ireland that plants achieve the stature of trees[16][9]. A tree at Trebah gardens in Cornwall was 16 metres tall in 1959[9]. Plants are fairly slow growing with an average increase in height around 20cm a year in Cornwall[9]. Cultivated as a timber tree in New Zealand[1]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[11]. 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↩3

  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

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

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  4. Laing. and Blackwell. Plants of New Zealand. Whitcombe and Tombs Ltd 1907-00-00

    ↩

  5. 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

    ↩

  6. Holliday. I. and Hill. R. A Field Guide to Australian Trees. Frederick Muller Ltd. 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-85179-627-3

    ↩

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

    ↩

  8. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩

  9. Mitchell. A. F. Conifers in the British Isles. HMSO 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-11-710012-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  10. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

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

    ↩

  13. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩

  14. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩

  15. Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948-00-00

    ↩

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

    ↩

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