Olearia macrodonta
Family: Asteraceae or Compositae
What it is like
Olearia macrodonta is an evergreen Shrub growing to 6 m (19ft) by 5 m (16ft) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8. It is in leaf all year, in flower in July, and the seeds ripen in August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. 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 and can grow in very alkaline soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.
Height (m): 6
Where it is found
Lowland to sub-alpine forest to 1300 metres, southwards from latitude 37° 30's on North and South Islands.
New Zealand.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 0
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating:
Very resistant to maritime exposure, this plant can be used as an effective windbreak hedge in exposed maritime areas. One report says that it is tolerant of severe pruning, whilst another says that it is better not to prune severely. Moderately fast growing.
Hedge: Plants that can be grown as hedges.
Hedge: Hedge
Scented Plants: Plants noted for their scent
How it is grown
Succeeds in any well-drained moderately fertile soil in full sun. Thrives in a chalky soil but prefers a light loam or peaty soil. Very tolerant of maritime exposure. A very ornamental plant, it is almost hardy throughout Britain, tolerating temperatures down to about -15°c if sheltered from cold winds. Flowers best in years following long hot summers. Withstands light trimming but dislikes being cut back hard into old growth, it is best to trim new growth by 50% each year in order to promote basal shoots. Any pruning is best done in the spring. This plant is possibly a hybrid O. arborescens x O. ilicifolia. There are a number of named forms, the cultivar 'Major' is faster to establish than the type. The whole plant is aromatic. The leaves emit a powerful musk scent when bruised whilst the flowers are honey-scented.
Propagating it: Seed - surface sow in early spring in a greenhouse. Do not allow the compost to dry out. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. If growth has been sufficiently good, plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer of the following year, otherwise grow them on for another year in pots and plant them out the following early summer. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 10cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Pot up in late August and overwinter in a cold frame then plant out in late spring or early summer. Good percentage. Cuttings of moderately ripe wood of the current years growth, 5 - 10cm with a heel, November in a frame. Very easy, succeeding even when the cuttings are planted directly into their permanent positions in exposed sites.
Best place to grow: Hedge;
Habit: Shrub
Hardiness: 7-10
Growth: Medium
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Moist