Macquarie Island cabbage

Botanical name: Azorella polaris
Synonyms: Stilbocarpa polaris
Common name(s): Macquarie Island cabbage, Punui

About:
A spectacular subantarctic megaherb forming enormous lush clumps in exposed southern island environments. Despite its common name it is not related to true cabbages.

Natural habitat:
Occurs in subantarctic herbfields, coastal slopes, exposed uplands, peat soils, and open tussock communities on Auckland Islands, Campbell Island, and Macquarie Island.

Growing environment:
Cool temperate to subantarctic climates, Moist peaty soils, Full sun to light shade, Wind exposed sites, High rainfall environments.

Endemic distribution:
Indigenous to New Zealand’s subantarctic islands including the Auckland and Campbell Islands, and also present on Macquarie Island.

Height:
Up to 2 m tall

Width:
Up to 2 m across

Flowering:
Mainly November–February

Fruiting:
October–March

Uses:

• Subantarctic restoration planting
• Botanical collections
• Wildlife habitat
• Historic food plant
• Ornamental foliage feature

Appearance:

Growth habit:
A massive fleshy perennial herb forming dense sprawling colonies from thick rhizomes.

Stems & rhizomes:
Produces thick branched stems arising from large fleshy underground rhizomes.

Leaves:
Large bright green kidney-shaped leaves with prominent veins and coarse toothed margins. Leaves are often densely hairy and carried on long stout stalks.

Flowers:
Numerous small waxy yellow flowers with purple centres carried in large compound umbels above the foliage.

Fruit:
Rounded shiny fruits developing after flowering, usually produced through summer.

Ecology:
An important component of subantarctic megaherb communities, helping stabilise exposed peat soils and providing habitat for invertebrates and nesting seabirds.

Associated habitats:
Often grows with other subantarctic megaherbs including Pleurophyllum, Anisotome, and Bulbinella species.

How to grow:
Requires cool moist conditions with permanently damp soil and high humidity. Best suited to cool coastal or alpine climates and performs poorly in hot dry conditions.

Propagation:
Usually grown from fresh seed or by division of established clumps.

Cultural significance:
Historically eaten by sealers and explorers as a scurvy preventative and emergency food source on remote subantarctic islands.

Garden value:
A dramatic foliage plant prized for its huge tropical-looking leaves and bold architectural appearance in cool-climate gardens and specialist botanical collections.