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Podocarpaceae FAMILY Least Concern

Manoao colensoi

Manoao colensoi

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Tree
Growth—

Manoao colensoi is only hardy in the milder areas of the temperate zone[1]. A tree at Borde Hill in Sussex (zone 7) was 2 metres tall in 1970[2]. Requires a light, freely draining soil[3] in a sheltered position with protection from cold winds[4]. Requires high rainfall and humidity if it is to succeed[5]. A shade tolerant plant, it grows in the wild on well developed soils of volcanic or igneous origin with good drainage[6]. This species tolerates shade and probably requires it in drier areas if the tree is to survive. It requires warm summers if it is to grow well, and even then it can be very slow growing[5]. A dioecious species, male and female plants must be grown if seed is required. An unusual character of this species is its ability to regenerate and to spread via horizontal underground stems[7, 8]

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a freely draining compost. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 3 months at 20°c[3]. Another report says that the seed can be very slow to germinate and that it is best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe[5]. Sow stored seed as early in the year as possible. 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. The tree produces suckers from horizontal underground stems[8]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Manoao+colensoi>

Pollinators

Wind

References

  1. [1]Manual of the Trees of N. America. — Sargent. C. S. · Dover Publications Inc. New York. · 1965 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ · ISBN 0-486-20278-X ↩︎Two volumes, a comprehensive listing of N. American trees though a bit out of date now. Good details on habitats, some details on plant uses. Not really for the casual reader. It can be downloaded from the internet.
  2. [2]Conifers in the British Isles. — Mitchell. A. F. · HMSO · 1975 · ISBN 0-11-710012-9 ↩︎A bit out of date (first published in 1972), but an excellent guide to how well the various species of conifers grow in Britain giving locations of trees.
  3. [3]Growing from Seed. Volume 4. — Bird. R. (Editor) · Thompson and Morgan. · 1990 · ISBN - ↩︎Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. A good article on Yuccas, one on Sagebrush (Artemesia spp) and another on Chaerophyllum bulbosum.
  4. [4]The Milder Garden. — Taylor. J. · Dent · 1990 ↩︎A good book on plants that you didn't know could be grown outdoors in Britain.
  5. [5]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  6. [6]Marmesin-mediated suppression of VEGF/VEGFR and integrin Beta1 expression: Its implication in non-small cell lung ca — Kim J.H. et al · ISBN 10.3892/or.2016.5 ↩︎
  7. [7]IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — http://www.iucnredlist.org/ ↩︎A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
  8. [8]A Handbook of the World's Conifers Vol. 1 (Second revised edition) — Farjon A. · Brill; Leiden, The Netherlands · 2017 · ISBN 978 90 04 32449 7 ↩︎
  9. [9]Flora of New Zealand. — Allan. H. H. · Government Printer, Wellington. · 1961 · http://floraseries.landcareresearch.co.nz/pages/Book.aspx?fileName=Flora%201.xml · ISBN - ↩︎The standard work, in 5 volumes though only the first two are of interest to the plant project. Very good on habitats. There is also an on-line version.
  10. [10]A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. — Usher. G. · Constable · 1974 · ISBN 0094579202 ↩︎Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.