New Zealand Laurel, Karaka nut
Corynocarpus laevigatus
Family: Corynocarpaceae
What it is like
Corynocarpus laevigatus is an evergreen Tree growing to 12 m (39ft) by 8 m (26ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8 and is frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from May to June, and the seeds ripen from December to February. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. 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): 12
Where it is found
Coastal and lowland forest, south to latitude 44°south.
New Zealand.
Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed.
Countries/locations it is found in
Australia, New Zealand, Pacific, Tasmania, Vanuatu.
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Fruit - raw. Sweet and pulpy. One report says that it is poisonous raw, though the writer might have been confused with the seed. Seed - cooked. The seed needs to be soaked in salt water or thoroughly boiled or roasted in order to destroy a deleterious principle. A staple food of the Maoris, it contains a tasteless farinaceous substance. The seed contains about 11% protein and 58% carbohydrate.
Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating: 4
An insecticide is made from the plant. Wood. The tree trunk is used by the Maoris to make canoes. Carbon Farming Solutions - Industrial Crop: starch (Crops grown for non-food uses. Industrial crops provide resources in three main categories: materials, chemicals, and energy. Traditional materials include lumber and thatch, paper and cardboard, and textiles). Corynocarpus spp. are crops suited to woody agriculture..
Insecticide: Kills insects.
Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.
How it is grown
Succeeds in ordinary garden soil. Best grown in a woodland garden. Plants are not very frost-tolerant and are only hardy outdoors in the mildest areas of Britain. There is a large tree in Falmouth. Plants tolerate pruning if this is necessary.
Propagating it: Seed - best sown in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe. 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 half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Secondary; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge;
Habit: Tree
Hardiness: 7-10
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
The seed is poisonous raw.
This plant can be weedy or invasive. Weedy in southern regions of the North Island of New Zealand. It is naturalised and considered invasive in Hawaii.
Its other names
Local names
New Zealand Laurel, Karaka nut, karaka, Cook Islands: koopii. Germany: Karakabaum. Hawaii: karaka nut; karakanut; karakaranut; New Zealand laurel. New Zealand: koopii; kopi; Maori peanut; wairarapa.