Herb: Totara


Latin name: Podocarpus totara


Synonyms: Podocarpus hallii


Family: Podocarpaceae (Podocarpus Family)



Edible parts of Totara:

Fruit - raw or cooked. Sweet and juicy but there is a hint of turpentine in its flavour, especially if it is not fully ripe. The fruit is about 6mm in diameter.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Tree

Height:
30 m
(98 feet)

Habitat of the herb:

Lowland, montane and sub-alpine forest on North, South and Stewart Islands.

Other uses of Totara:

Wood - straight grained, reddish, very durable lasting a long time in water, but it can be brittle. Used for construction work and cabinet making.

Propagation of the herb:

The seed can be sown at any time of the year in a sandy soil in a warm greenhouse, though it is probably best sown as soon as it is ripe. 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 terminal shoots, 5 - 10cm long, July/August in a frame.

Cultivation of Totara:

Lowland, montane and sub-alpine forest on North, South and Stewart Islands.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Podocarpus totara:

Superficially similar to Taxus species, but this plant is definitely not poisonous.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.