Tree of the month
MĀORI NAME: Horoeka ENGLISH NAME: Lancewood & toothed lancewood BOTANICAL NAME: Pseudopanax crassifolius & Pseudopanax ferox
Horoeka.
GROWING HABIT
If you’re after bucketloads of lush green leaves, then horoeka might not be the native tree for you. However, if you’re after texture in the garden, and you’re limited on space, this unique plant with its distinctive jagged leaves and ropey stem will be the perfect addition.
A bit of an ugly duckling – with a stick-like appearance as a teenager – the horoeka transforms through very different leaf shapes as it grows. As the juvenile and adult forms are so different, they were initially thought to be different species.
Its young leaves are dramatic architectural scratchings, with long stiff narrow leaves and jagged edges. As the tree matures, it mellows.
The leaves lose their hard edges and serrations, and take on oblateolate or spatulate shapes, and as it leaves adolescence behind and enters middle age, it adopts the signature lollipop-like shape.
GROWS BEST IN… ?
It’s fairly common in most parts of the North and South Islands, so it should be good for most gardens, but have a chat to your local native nursery before buying your seedlings. In a particularly cold area, you may need to consider overhead cover to protect young trees from frost.
MAINTENANCE & CARE
Horoeka is as tough as it looks. It’s not fussy about soil or climate. As long as it can find a drink and reasonably good drainage, it’s usually happy to put its taproot down.
HOW TO PROPAGATE
Lancewood is commonly available from nurseries although also easily established from seed. The small black fruit ripens during November and December and after about six weeks’ stratification, the seed usually germinates well.
Propagation can also be from semi-hardwood cuttings taken in autumn.
REASONS TO LOVE HOROEKA
One theory for the horoeka being the ultimate transformer of native trees, is that the distinctive jagged leaves of the young plant might have deterred browsing moa in earlier times. It’s also believed early Maori¯ may have sharpened the thin pole-like tree trunks into spears to hunt kereru.¯
FACT V FICTION
I once heard that an American landscape architect got all excited about planting horoeka in Disneyland. They wanted the lollipop-like shape of the mature tree because it’s reminiscent of child-like drawings.
However, I suspect when they found out that it may take 10 to 15 years to develop that form, they changed their minds.
But, if anyone has seen horoeka in Disneyland please let me know! And, remember to keep an eye out if you go…
WHERE TO SEE HOROEKA
As they’re so low maintenance, horoeka can often be found in council plantings in city centres. Try tree spotting in Wellington’s Cuba Street, for example. The trick to spotting horoeka is to keep an eye out for all its various forms – spiky children, gangly teenagers, and also the well-formed adults!
And just like teens, the juvenile trees can often be found in small gangs – it’s not uncommon to see a few growing together.