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Useful Temperate Plants

Nothofagus cunninghamii

(Hook.) Oerst.

Nothofagaceae


A review of the genus Nothofagus has proposed that the genus be separated into four distinct genera. See Heenan P.B. & Smissen R.D. (2013). 'Revised circumscription of Nothofagus and recognition of the segregate genera Fuscospora, Lophozonia, and Trisyngyne (Nothofagaceae)'. Phytotaxa 146 (1): 131. This treatment has not as of 2017 been universally accepted, if it is accepted then this species will become Lophozonia cunninghamii (Hook.) Heenan & Smissen

+ Synonyms

Fagus cunninghamii Hook.

Lophozonia cunninghamii (Hook.) Heenan & Smissen

Common Name: Myrtle Beech

No Image.

General Information

Nothofagus cunninghamii is an evergreen shrub or tree with a dense, spreading crown. It can vary greatly in habit according to habitat and climate - in exposed, windy situations and higher elevations it is often only a shrub, but in moist, sheltered situations it becomes a very large tree, sometimes up to 50 metres tall. The straight bole, in mature trees, can sometimes reach 150 - 250cm in diameter, with slight buttresses at the base[
397
Title
Australian Native Plants Society
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://anpsa.org.au/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A series of fact sheets on Australian plants. Good photographs, brief description and information on uses, habitat, range, cultivation etc.
,
1189
Title
Nothofagus cunninghamii Notesheet
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A factsheet produced by the
].
The tree yields an excellent timber and is often harvested from the wild for commercial use.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

11
Title
Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement.
Publication
 
Author
Bean. W.
Publisher
Murray
Year
1981
ISBN
-
Description
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
,
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
286
Title
Flora of Australia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.anbg.gov.au/abrs/abif/flora/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
The full information from the Flora of Australia - on-line. An excellent resource.

Range

Australia - Tasmania and southern Victoria.

Habitat

Moist sheltered localities in temperate rainforests[
154
Title
Flora of Victoria.
Publication
 
Author
Ewart. A. J.
Publisher
University Press; Melbourne
Year
1930
ISBN
 
Description
A flora of eastern Australia, it is rather short on information that is useful to the plant project.
,
156
Title
Useful Wild Plants in Australia.
Publication
 
Author
Cribb. A. B. and J. W.
Publisher
William Collins Pty Ltd. Sidney
Year
1981
ISBN
0-00-216441-8
Description
A very readable book.
]. A major component of temperate rainforest, often in pure stands, or as an understorey in tall eucalypt forest[
286
Title
Flora of Australia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.anbg.gov.au/abrs/abif/flora/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
The full information from the Flora of Australia - on-line. An excellent resource.
,
397
Title
Australian Native Plants Society
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://anpsa.org.au/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A series of fact sheets on Australian plants. Good photographs, brief description and information on uses, habitat, range, cultivation etc.
].

Properties

Other Uses Rating *  *  *
HabitEvergreen Tree
Height55.00 m
Growth RateFast
PollinatorsWind
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

Nothofagus cunninghamii is native to the warm temperate zone of southeastern Australia. It is found at elevations from sea level to 1,200 metres, growing in regions where the mean annual rainfall is within the range 1,000 - 1,500mm. It is known to tolerate occasional temperatures falling as low as -7°c in Australian gardens, so long as its wood has been ripened by summer heat[
157
Title
Australian Native Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Wrigley. J. W. and Fagg. M.
Publisher
Collins. (Australia)
Year
1988
ISBN
0-7322-0021-0
Description
A lovely book, written in order to encourage Australian gardeners to grow their native plants. A little bit of information for the plant project.
,
1189
Title
Nothofagus cunninghamii Notesheet
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A factsheet produced by the
]. They succeed outdoors in the milder areas of Britain - young plants at Crarae in western Scotland in 1992 appear to be very hardy and robust[
191
Title
Letter from Crarae Garden, March 1993.
Publication
 
Author
 
Publisher
-
Year
1993
ISBN
-
Description
A list Nothofagus species growing at Crarae Garden in Scotland.
]. Some specimens in the milder regions of the UK have exceeded 15 metres in height[
11
Title
Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement.
Publication
 
Author
Bean. W.
Publisher
Murray
Year
1981
ISBN
-
Description
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
].
Prefers an open well-drained loamy soil in a sunny position[
1
Title
RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
Publication
 
Author
F. Chittendon.
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Year
1951
ISBN
-
Description
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
,
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. This is a slow-growing species that requires cool, shady, moist conditions and well-drained, fertile soils. Although it prefers shady conditions, it can tolerate full sun[
1189
Title
Nothofagus cunninghamii Notesheet
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A factsheet produced by the
]. Succeeds on most soils but dislikes calcareous soils[
1
Title
RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
Publication
 
Author
F. Chittendon.
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Year
1951
ISBN
-
Description
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
,
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Prefers a pH between 5 and 7 but dislikes acid peats[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Plants in the wild vary in size from shrubs to very big trees according to rainfall and altitude[
11
Title
Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement.
Publication
 
Author
Bean. W.
Publisher
Murray
Year
1981
ISBN
-
Description
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
]. They often produce adventitious shoots[
286
Title
Flora of Australia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.anbg.gov.au/abrs/abif/flora/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
The full information from the Flora of Australia - on-line. An excellent resource.
].
Trees produce heavy seed crops in every second or third year[
1189
Title
Nothofagus cunninghamii Notesheet
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A factsheet produced by the
].
Trees can live for around 500 years[
1189
Title
Nothofagus cunninghamii Notesheet
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A factsheet produced by the
].
Trees are killed in all but the less severe forest fires[
1189
Title
Nothofagus cunninghamii Notesheet
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A factsheet produced by the
].
Species in this genus often have poor wind resistance in cultivation, probably because they grow so fast[
11
Title
Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement.
Publication
 
Author
Bean. W.
Publisher
Murray
Year
1981
ISBN
-
Description
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
]. Another report says that this species is slow growing in cultivation[
157
Title
Australian Native Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Wrigley. J. W. and Fagg. M.
Publisher
Collins. (Australia)
Year
1988
ISBN
0-7322-0021-0
Description
A lovely book, written in order to encourage Australian gardeners to grow their native plants. A little bit of information for the plant project.
].
Trees up to 4 metres tall can be successfully established, though the optimum size for transplanting is about 30 - 80cm. The roots are very sensitive to desiccation and extreme care should be taken when transplanting them[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Another report says that the tree transplants badly[
154
Title
Flora of Victoria.
Publication
 
Author
Ewart. A. J.
Publisher
University Press; Melbourne
Year
1930
ISBN
 
Description
A flora of eastern Australia, it is rather short on information that is useful to the plant project.
].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The reddish-pink to reddish-brown wood has a beautiful, fine and straight-grained. It is light in weight, very hard, strong, tough. It polishes well. A prized timber for furniture making, woodturning and panelling, it is also used for joinery, cogs of wheels, flooring, decking, construction etc[
154
Title
Flora of Victoria.
Publication
 
Author
Ewart. A. J.
Publisher
University Press; Melbourne
Year
1930
ISBN
 
Description
A flora of eastern Australia, it is rather short on information that is useful to the plant project.
,
156
Title
Useful Wild Plants in Australia.
Publication
 
Author
Cribb. A. B. and J. W.
Publisher
William Collins Pty Ltd. Sidney
Year
1981
ISBN
0-00-216441-8
Description
A very readable book.
,
167
Title
A Field Guide to Australian Trees.
Publication
 
Author
Holliday. I. and Hill. R.
Publisher
Frederick Muller Ltd.
Year
1974
ISBN
0-85179-627-3
Description
A well illustrated and very readable book, but it does not contain much information for the plant project.
,
397
Title
Australian Native Plants Society
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://anpsa.org.au/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A series of fact sheets on Australian plants. Good photographs, brief description and information on uses, habitat, range, cultivation etc.
,
1189
Title
Nothofagus cunninghamii Notesheet
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A factsheet produced by the
].

Propagation

The seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cool greenhouse or cold frame, when it will generally germinate in about 6 - 8 weeks[
1189
Title
Nothofagus cunninghamii Notesheet
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A factsheet produced by the
]. Spring-sown seed requires 2 - 3 months stratification at 1 - 5°c[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. 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 cold frame for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. The seed must not be allowed to dry out according to one report[
80
Title
Hardy Woody Plants from Seed.
Publication
 
Author
McMillan-Browse. P.
Publisher
Grower Books
Year
1985
ISBN
0-901361-21-6
Description
Does not deal with many species but it is very comprehensive on those that it does cover. Not for casual reading.
] whilst another says that the seed can be stored dry at 2°c for long periods[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 6 - 10cm with a heel, mid summer in a frame[
78
Title
Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers.
Publication
 
Author
Sheat. W. G.
Publisher
MacMillan and Co
Year
1948
ISBN
-
Description
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
].
Layering.
Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2024-12-10. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Nothofagus+cunninghamii>

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