Common Name: Puahou

General Information

Neopanax arboreus is a small evergreen tree with a freely-branched, rounded canopy; the plant can grow from 3.5 - 7.5 metres tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a source of materials and possibly also as a food. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental.
Neopanax arboreus has a very wide distribution, a large population, is not currently experiencing any major threats and no significant future threats have been identified. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2018)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

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Range

New Zealand - North and South Islands.

Habitat

Forests and open scrub; at elevations from sea-level to 760 metres.

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	6.00 m
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Neopanax arboreus is native to the warm temperate and subtropical regions of New Zealand, It is not a very cold-hardy plant, able to tolerate short periods with temperatures down to around -5°c when fully dormant[].
Requires a moist but well-drained humus-rich soil in semi-shade or full sun[].
Plants often start out life as epiphytes on the stems of tree ferns, eventually extending their roots down into the ground[].
This species has three distinctive forms of foliage at different stages in their life-cycle. The second stage, as a sapling, is often the most interesting from a gardener's viewpoint[].
Large plants respond well to heavy pruning and careful transplanting[].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[].
Dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

Edible Uses

Young leaves[]. The same report then goes on to say that the leaves are much too bitter to be edible[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

A khaki dye can be obtained from the plant (part not specified)[].

A gum obtained from the tree and called 'pia houhou' is used as a seal in the join of a water vessel in order to prevent leakage[].

The bark is sometimes used to make small water vessels[].

The wood taken from a tree growing in an exposed condition is used traditionally to make a flute[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown when ripe in the autumn in a warm greenhouse[]. The seed can be slow to germinate. 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, mid summer in a frame[].
Air layering[].