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Common Name:

General Information

Nertera balfouriana is a perennial plant that can grow up to 0.10 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

New Zealand.

Habitat

Damp and boggy ground from lowland to the sub-alpine zone, especially amongst sphagnum moss[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.10 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a light well-drained soil in semi-shade and shelter from cold winds[]. Plants are intolerant of excessive winter wet[].
A prostrate mat-forming plant that forms roots at the nodes of stems, it grows well in a rock garden in areas where frosts are light and short-lived[]. It succeeds outdoors only in the milder areas of Britain.

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[]. The fruit is a berry about 1cm in diameter with a single seed[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a shaded part of a cool greenhouse or cold frame[]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a lightly shaded position 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 the plants some protection from the cold for their first winter outdoors.
Division in spring.