Myoporum montanum
| Myoporum montanum | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 7' |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Myoporum montanum (common name: water bush)
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: We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus.
Easily grown in most soils[2]. Succeeds in dry soils[3].
Range: Australia - New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria.
Habitat: Sandy loams[4]. Usually found in inland woodlands, but it is also sometimes found near the coast[5].
Edibility: Fruit - raw or cooked[6]. Bitterly aromatic and salty sweet[5]. The purplish fruit is 5 - 7mm in diameter[7]. Caution is advised, see notes above on toxicity.
Usage: The plant can be used as a hedge or screen[8].
Wood - soft but tough[4].
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: Although no records of toxicity have been found for this species, the fruits of at least some members of this genus are known to contain liver toxins and can be harmful in large quantities[9].
Also Known As: M. acuminatum.
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.
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Ewart, Alfred. Recording Census of the Victorian Flora. 1923.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Low, Tim. Wild Food Plants of Australia. Angus and Robertson, 1989.
- ↑ Cribb, Alan and Joan Cribb. Wild Food in Australia. Fontana, 1976.
- ↑ Carolin, R. Flora of the Sydney Region. Reed, 1993.
- ↑ Wrigley, John and Murray Fagg. Australian Native Plants. Collins, 1988.
- ↑ Crowe, Andrew. Native Edible Plants of New Zealand. Hodder and Stoughton, 1990.