Myoporum laetum
| Myoporum laetum | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 9 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 20' |
| Width: | 10' |
| Speed: | Moderate |
| Blooms: | Late Spring-Early Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Myoporum laetum (common name: ngaio)
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. Consider giving the plants some protection from the cold for their first few winters outdoors.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 10cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Pot up in the autumn. Good percentage[1].
Cultivation: Easily grown in most soils[2] so long as they are well-drained[3]. Succeeds in dry soils[4] and in poor soils[3]. Very resistant to maritime exposure and salt spray[5].
This species is not very hardy in mainland Britain, it succeeds outdoors on the Scilly Isles[6] but usually requires greenhouse protection elsewhere[6]. Plants flower freely in Cornish gardens[6][7]. Plants do not tolerate temperatures below 0°c[5].
The leaves emit a resinous smell when bruised[8]. The flowers are also fragrant[8].
Range: New Zealand.
Habitat: Usually found by the coast, often to the high tide mark[9], it is also found in lowland forests on North, South and Chatham Islands south to latitude 46°s[10].
Edibility: Fruit - raw or cooked[11][12]. The fruit is about 6 - 9mm in diameter[4]. Some caution is advised, see notes above on possible toxicity.
Medicinal: Odontalgic, vulnerary. The bark is used to treat ulcers[13].
Usage: A decoction of the leaves is used as an insect repellent[9]. It is effective against mosquitoes[8].
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Wind: Tolerates maritime wind exposure
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: All parts of the plant contain a liver toxin[14].
Links
References
- ↑ Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ Holliday, Ivan and Ron Hill. A Field Guide to Australian Trees. Frederick Muller, 1974.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Brickell, Christopher. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Dorling Kindersley Publishers, 1990.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Taylor, Jane. The Milder Garden. Dent, 1990.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Thurston, Edgar. Trees and Shrubs in Cornwall. Cambridge University Press, 1930.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Laing, Robert. Plants of New Zealand. Whitcombe and Tombs Ltd, 1907.
- ↑ Allan, Harry. Flora of New Zealand. Government Printer Publications, 1961.
- ↑ Brooker, Stanley. Economic Native Plants of New Zealand. Oxford University Press, 1991.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Crowe, Andrew. Native Edible Plants of New Zealand. Hodder and Stoughton, 1990.