Muehlenbeckia axillaris
| Muehlenbeckia axillaris | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 8 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Cross Pollinated | |
| Height: | 1' |
| Width: | 3' |
| Speed: | Moderate |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Muehlenbeckia axillaris
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. 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, 5 - 8 cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Pot up in autumn and overwinter in a cold frame. High percentage[1]. Plant out in late spring.
Cuttings of mature wood of the current season's growth, 5 - 10cm with a heel, October/November in a cold frame. High percentage[1].
Division in spring[2].
Cultivation: Requires a well-drained soil in sun or semi-shade[2].
Plants are not hardy outside the milder areas of Britain, but given a position sheltered from cold drying winds they tolerate temperatures down to about -15°c[2].
A climbing plant that supports itself by twining around other plants etc[3]. Plants can become invasive, spreading by means of underground shoots[4].
Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.
Range: Australia to New Zealand.
Habitat: Gravelly and rocky places and open grassland southwards from 38° south in North and South Islands of New Zealand[5]. Scrub and river flats to the sub-alpine zone[6].
Edibility: Fruit - raw or cooked. Sweet and juicy[6]. The fruit is very small, only 3mm in diameter[2].
Usage: A fast growing ground cover plant for a sunny position but it requires weeding for the first year or so[7][4]. Once established, it can swamp out small plants[7].
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Dioecious
Also Known As: M. hypogaea. M. nana. Polygonum axillare.
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 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Grey-Wilson, Christopher and Victoria Matthews. Gardening on Walls. Collins, 1983.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Thomas, Graham. Plants for Ground Cover. Everyman, 1990.
- ↑ Allan, Harry. Flora of New Zealand. Government Printer Publications, 1961.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Crowe, Andrew. Native Edible Plants of New Zealand. Hodder and Stoughton, 1990.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Napier, Elspeth. Ground Cover Plants. Cassells, 1989.