Herb: Pine Heath


Latin name: Astroloma pinifolium


Family: Epacridaceae



Edible parts of Pine Heath:

Fruit - raw. Sweet and succulent when fully ripe. The fruit is about 5mm in diameter.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Shrub

Height:
100 cm
(3 1/4 foot)

Flowering:
August to
October

Habitat of the herb:

In heathland and open dry sclerophyll forests on sandy soils.

Propagation of Pine Heath:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. The seed has a hard coat and some form of scarification is necessary or the seed can take up to 5 years to germinate. Two or three periods each of 4 - 6 weeks cold stratification can reduce the time taken to germinate. As soon as 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. When large enough, plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer. Cuttings of firm young tip growths. It is very difficult to obtain suitable wood and the cuttings are slow to root.

Cultivation of the herb:

In heathland and open dry sclerophyll forests on sandy soils.

Medicinal use of Pine Heath:

None known

Known hazards of Astroloma pinifolium:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.