Botanical name:

Pseudopanax ferox

Common name(s):

Lancewood, Toothed Lancewood

About:

A small tree with a striking juvenile form consists of down-pointing, roundish, long, and narrow very tough leaves that capture attention. The leaves feature irregular blunt bumps along their edges, which, over time, eventually grow into a small bushy tree that bears long, narrow, leathery leaves. These leaves are characterised by having a few teeth on the margin, particularly towards the tip, adding to the uniqueness of this intriguing plant.

Natural habitat:

Coastal to subalpine (10-800 m) on consolidated sand dunes (dune forest), in grey scrub overlying pumice, on recent alluvial (coarse gravels), limestone outcrops, boulder fall, cliff faces, talus slopes and scarps. Also found as a sparse component of seasonally drought-prone but otherwise cold and wet alluvial forests. This species prefers drier habitats and conditions than P. crassifolius.

Growing environment:

Frost, Sun, Drought, Salt, Wind & Free draining tolerant.

Endemic distribution:

North and South Islands. In the North rather patchy, known from Ahipara, Woodhill Forest (South Kaipara), the Moawhango and southern Rimutaka Range. In the South Island they are more widespread but easterly from the Marlborough Sounds to Southland.

Height: 12m

Flowering:

November – April with a green coloured flower/s

Fruiting:

December – June & produces 8-9mm wide purple fruit.

Uses:

Riparian plantings & Forests. Also makes for a fantastic feature plant.

How to grow:

Easily grown from fresh seed and can be struck from semi-hardwood cuttings - though necessarily of adult foliage. A very tough plant that favours highly fertile but dry soils in full sun to dappled light. It can tolerate poor fertility soils as well and is drought tolerant. Juvenile foliage is exceptional and so it is well known from cultivation.

** Seed germinates without pre treatment. 4 weeks cold stratification will help speed this up though