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Common Name: Pukatea

General Information

Laurelia novae-zealandiae is an evergreen tree that can grow up to 10.00 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of materials..

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

New Zealand.

Habitat

Lowland semi-swamp and gully forests in North and South Islands, south to latitude 46°s[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	10.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in sun or semi-shade in any moderately fertile soil, including a limey soil, so long as it does not dry out in the growing season[]. Another report says that it requires an acid, well-drained soil and does well in the semi-shade of a sheltered woodland[]. Requires a warm position sheltered from cold winds[].
This species is not very hardy in Britain, tolerating temperatures down to about -5°c[], it succeeds outdoors in the mildest areas of the country[].
The leaves are aromatic[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

Analgesic, odontalgic[].

Other Uses

The multi-coloured wood is used in furniture making and to build boats, for it does not easily split[].

Propagation

Seed - sow late winter or early spring in a warm greenhouse. Germination rates are variable[]. 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, and consider giving them some protection from the cold for their first winter or two outdoors.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8cm with a heel, mid summer in individual pots in sandy soil in a frame. Keep them moist. Fair percentage[].
Layering in spring[].