Gaultheria hispida
| Gaultheria hispida | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 9 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-7.3 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 3' |
| Blooms: | Late Spring-Early Summer |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Gaultheria hispida (common name: snowberry)
Propagation: The seed requires a period of cold stratification. Pre-chill for 4 - 10 weeks and then surface sow in a lime-free compost in a shady part of the greenhouse and keep the compost moist[1]. The seed usually germinates well, usually within 1 - 2 months at 20°c, but the seedlings are liable to damp off. It is important to water them with care and to ensure that they get plenty of ventilation. Watering them with a garlic infusion can also help to prevent damping of[K]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are about 25mm tall and grow them on in light shade in the greenhouse for at least their first winter[K]. Plant them out in late spring or early summer. The seedlings are susceptible to spring frosts so might need some protection for their first few years outdoors. The leaves remain very small for the first few years[2].
Cuttings of half-ripe wood 3 - 6cm long, July/August in a frame in a shady position. They form roots in late summer or spring[1]. A good percentage usually take.
Division in spring just before new growth begins[3]. Larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.
Layering.
Cultivation: Prefers a moist but not boggy humus rich soil in shade or semi-shade[2][4]. A peat and moisture loving species, it requires a lime-free soil[2][4].
Prefers a warmer climate than Britain in order to do really well, but it is quite hardy here[2]. It is sometimes temperamental in cultivation[4].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[3].
Range: Australia - Tasmania.
Habitat: Mountains to 1200 metres. Usually in wet eucalyptus forests in the montane and sub-alpine zone[5].
Edibility: Fruit - raw or cooked. Somewhat bitter[6][7][5][8][9]. Not unpleasant, they taste somewhat like gooseberries when cooked but with a slight bitterness[10]. The fruit is about 8 - 10mm wide[10].
Medicinal: Said to be useful in the treatment of cancer[11].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Thomas, Graham. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray, 1992.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Cribb, Alan and Joan Cribb. Wild Food in Australia. Fontana, 1976.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Ewart, Alfred. Recording Census of the Victorian Flora. 1923.
- ↑ Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Low, Tim. Wild Food Plants of Australia. Angus and Robertson, 1989.
- ↑ Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.