Corkwood Tree
Entelea arborescens
Family: Tiliaceae
What it is like
Entelea arborescens is an evergreen Shrub growing to 6 m (19ft 8in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 9 and is frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower in May. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). 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 cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 6
Where it is found
Coastal to lowland forest, south to latitude 41°south.
New Zealand.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 0
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating:
Wood - one of the lightest known, it is half the weight of cork. Used for floats, rafts etc.
Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.
How it is grown
Succeeds in any moderately fertile loamy soil in a sunny position. This species is not very cold-hardy, tolerating temperatures down to about -3°c. It usually requires cool greenhouse treatment in Britain. Plants can succeed outdoors in the mildest areas of the country. They get frosted back to the ground most years when growing in pots in a polytunnel on our Cornish trial grounds, though they resprout freely from the base.
Propagating it: Seed - sow spring in a warm greenhouse at 20°c. Quick and easy germination. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on for at least their first two winters in a greenhouse. Plant out in early summer after the last expected frosts and give the plants some winter protection for their first couple of years. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. The cuttings root quickly and easily.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; South Wall. By. West Wall. By.
Habit: Shrub
Hardiness: 8-11
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Moist