Elaeocarpus dentatus
Family: Elaeocarpaceae
What it is like
Elaeocarpus dentatus is an evergreen Tree growing to 18 m (59ft 1in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 9. It is in leaf all year. 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 and neutral soils and can grow in very acid soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 18
Where it is found
Lowland forests on North and South Islands, south to latitude 44° 18' south.
New Zealand.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Fruit - cooked. It is soaked, rubbed and sieved in order to remove the stalks and skins, it is then baked into a cake that has an oily flavour. The fruit is also pickled and used like olives. The fruit is about 15mm in diameter.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating: 2
A blue/black dye is obtained from the bark. The bark is a good source of tannin.
Dye: Plants that provide dyes.
Tannin: An astringent substance obtaied from plants, it is used medicinally, as a dye and mordant, stabilizer in pesticide etc.
How it is grown
Prefers a fertile humus-rich well-drained soil. Another report says that it requires a moist lime-free soil. This species is said to succeed outdoors in our mildest gardens, especially if given a sheltered position such as a south or south-west facing wall. It succeeds outdoors in a woodland garden in the mildest areas of the country.
Propagating it: Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. Seed can be very slow to germinate, sometimes taking 2 years or more. 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. Cuttings of almost ripe shoots, August/September in a sandy soil in a frame. The leaves should be left on the stem..
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Secondary; Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade;
Habit: Tree
Hardiness: 8-11
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist