Herb: Puahou


Latin name: Pseudopanax arboreus


Synonyms: Neopanax arboreum, Nothopanax arboreus, Panax arboreus


Family: Araliaceae (Ginseng Family)



Edible parts of Puahou:

Young leaves. The same report then goes on to say that the leaves are much too bitter to be edible.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Tree

Height:
6 m
(20 feet)

Flowering:
July

Habitat of the herb:

Forests and open scrub from sea-level to 760 metres from North Cape to Southland.

Propagation of Puahou:

Seed - best sown when ripe in the autumn in a warm greenhouse. The seed can be slow to germinate. 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 wood, July/August in a frame. Air layering.

Cultivation of the herb:

Forests and open scrub from sea-level to 760 metres from North Cape to Southland.

Medicinal use of Puahou:

None known

Known hazards of Pseudopanax arboreus:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.