Astelia solandri
Family: Asteliaceae
What it is like
Astelia solandri is an evergreen Perennial growing to 2 m (6ft 7in). It is in leaf all year. The species is dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required). . The plant is not self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 2
Where it is found
Wet lowland forests, where it is epiphytic on tall trees.
New Zealand
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Fruit - raw. Sweet, fleshy and juicy, it is pleasant to eat. The base of the flowering stem can be eaten. An oil in the seed contains 25% gamma-linoleic acid, this compares with only 9% in evening primrose oil.
Oil: Oil
Stem: this often intergrades into leaves.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating:
Oil: Vegetable oils have many uses, as lubricants, lighting, soap and paint making, waterproofing etc. This does not include the edible oils unless they are also mentioned as having other uses.
How it is grown
Requires a damp humus-rich fertile soil in sun or semi-shade, sheltered from cold drying winds. An epiphyte, growing in the branches of tall trees. This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c, perhaps even lower if given shelter from cold drying winds. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.
Propagating it: Seed - sow late winter in a greenhouse. Germination can be very slow, sometimes taking more than 12 months. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in light shade for at least the first winter in a greenhouse. Plant out in late spring or early summer once they are 15cm or more tall. Division in spring.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Dappled Shade;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness:
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist