Wild Spaniard
Aciphylla colensoi
Family: Apiaceae or Umbelliferae
What it is like
Aciphylla colensoi is an evergreen Perennial growing to 0.9 m (3ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 7. 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). and is pollinated by Insects. The plant is not self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.
Height (m): 0.9
Where it is found
Montane to sub-alpine altitudes in North and South Islands between latitudes 38 and 43° 30' south.
New Zealand.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Root - cooked. Aromatic. The plant yields a resin that is used as a chewing gum. Shoots. No further details.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Gum: can be chewed as a chewing gum or can often be used as a sweetener or thickening agent in foods.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating:
Gum: Gums have a wide range of uses, especially as stabilizers, emulsifiers, thickening agents, adhesives etc.
How it is grown
Requires a perfectly drained gritty soil in full sun. Prefers a climate with rather damp air. Plants are hardy to about -10°c and are succeeding outdoors in a mild garden in N. Ireland. Dioecious. Female plants sometimes have a few male flowers but usually male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.
Propagating it: Seed - best sown in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe. Stored seed should be sown in a greenhouse in late winter or early spring. Germination can be very slow. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter before planting them out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 6-9
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Dry, moist