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Common Name:

General Information

Melicope ternata is an evergreen tree that can grow up to 6.00 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

New Zealand.

Habitat

Coastal to lowland forest, especially marginal, North and South Islands south to latitude 41° 30' south[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	6.00 m
Pollinators	Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

An easily grown plant, but it only succeeds outdoors on a sunny wall in the warmest areas of Britain[, ]. It requires a sandy freely-draining lime-free soil and a position sheltered from hot drying winds[].
Plants are not very frost hardy and are often defoliated in cold winters[]. They are best grown in pots that are put outdoors in the summer and brought into a conservatory for the winter[].
The bruised leaves have a pungent smell of oranges[].

Edible Uses

The plant yields an edible gum that is used for chewing[, , , ]. It sweetens the breath[].

Medicinal

Antihalitosis[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse[]. 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. Consider giving them some protection from the cold for their first few winters outdoors.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, mid summer in a frame[].