Drimys lanceolata
| Drimys lanceolata | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 8 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-7.3 |
| Evergreen Cross Pollinated | |
| Height: | 15' |
| Width: | 8' |
| Speed: | Slow |
| Blooms: | Mid Spring-Late Spring |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Drimys lanceolata (common name: mountain pepper) is a medium sized red-stemmed evergreen shrub.
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a greenhouse[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 wood, 10 - 15 cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Approximately 60% take[2].
Layering in March/April. Takes 12 months[2].
Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth with a heel of older wood, November in a cold frame[2].
Cultivation: Requires a light lime-free soil in semi-shade[1]. Prefers a fertile moist but well-drained soil[3].
A fairly hardy species, surviving very cold winters in various parts of the country so long as it is in a suitable position[4]. It tolerates temperatures down to about -15°c[5], but plants are liable to be damaged in cold winters. This species is hardier than D. winteri according to one report[4] whilst another says that it is less hardy than D. winteri[1].
All parts of the plant are very aromatic and pungent[6][5].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[1].
Plants are usually dioecious though monoecious and hermaphrodite forms are known. Male and female plants must usually be grown if seed is required.
Range: Australia - New South Wales, Tasmania and Victoria.
Habitat: Moist places in mountain forests and also in alpine zones to 1500 metres[7].
Edibility: The fruit and seed are used as a pepper and allspice substitute[8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. A pungent flavour[14][15]. The aromatic berries are edible according to one report[16], whilst another says that they taste somewhat like cinnamon.
Medicinal: Antiscorbutic, stomachic[7].
Usage: This species makes an excellent windbreak in woodland, it is widely grown as a hedge in mild temperate regions[16].
Wood - soft, only moderate strength[17].
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Wind: Tolerates strong winds
In Leaf: Evergreen
Seed Ripens: Early Fall-Mid Fall
Flower Type: Dioecious
Also Known As: D. aromatica. (R.Br.)Muell. non Murray. Tasmannia aromatica. Winteriana lanceolata.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ Brickell, Christopher. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Dorling Kindersley Publishers, 1990.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Royal Horticultural Society. The Plantsman Vol. 2. 1980 - 1981. Royal Horticultural Society, 1980.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Shrubs. Pan Books, 1989.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray, 1992.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Lassak, Erich and Tara McCarthy. Australian Medicinal Plants.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Low, Tim. Wild Food Plants of Australia. Angus and Robertson, 1989.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ Ewart, Alfred. Recording Census of the Victorian Flora. 1923.