PlantPeers
Back to Catalog
No image available
Myrtaceae FAMILY

Myrteola nummularia

Myrteola nummularia

Edibility
4/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Shrub
GrowthSlow

Myrteola nummularia is a native of temperate regions in southern S. America, and is also found at higher elevations in the Andes of western and northwestern S. America. It is only hardy in the milder regions of the temperate zone. It has proved to be not very hardy when grown outdoors in much of Britain, though it generally succeeds to the south and west of London, generally growing well in the southwest[1]. A group of plants in a sunny position on a rock garden at Kew Gardens seem to be perfectly happy and hardy, producing a reasonable crop of fruit in December 1996[PFAF]. Succeeds in any reasonably good soil[2] including dry ones. Prefers a moderately fertile well-drained loam in a sunny position[1, 3]. Prefers a cool position according to another report. Tolerates maritime exposure[4]. A good carpeting plant for moist stones etc in a rockery[1]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[3].

Propagation

Pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water and then sow it in late winter in a greenhouse. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle 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[PFAF]. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7 - 10cm with a heel, mid summer in a frame. Pot up in the autumn and overwinter in a cold frame. Plant out in late spring. High percentage[5]. Cuttings of mature wood of the current seasons growth, 7 - 12cm with a heel, late autumn in a shaded and frost free frame. Plant out in late spring or early autumn. High percentage[5]. Layering. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Myrteola+nummularia>

Pollinators

Bees

References

  1. [1]Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. — Bean. W. · Murray · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
  2. [2]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  3. [3]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.
  4. [4]Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. — Thomas. G. S. · Murray · 1992 · ISBN 0-7195-5043-2 ↩︎Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.
  5. [5]Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. — Sheat. W. G. · MacMillan and Co · 1948 · ISBN - ↩︎A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
  6. [6]Illustrations of the Flowering Plants and Ferns of the Falkland Islands — Vallentin E.F. & Cotton E.M. · L. Reeve & Co., Ashford, Kent, UK · 1921 ↩︎Lovely coloured drawings of 64 species of plants with a notes on the plants, including some uses.
  7. [7]Flora of Tierra del Fuego. — Moore. D. M. · Anthony Nelson. · 1983 · ISBN 0-904614-05-0 ↩︎Standard work for this part of S. America. Excellent details of habitat and a few notes on plant uses.
  8. [8]Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. — Hedrick. U. P. · Dover Publications · 1972 · ISBN 0-486-20459-6 ↩︎Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
  9. [9]Tanaka's Cyclopedia of Edible Plants of the World. — Tanaka. T. & Nakao S. · Keigaku Publishing; Tokyo · 1976 · ISBN - ↩︎The most comprehensive list of edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.
  10. [10]Plants for Human Consumption. — Kunkel. G. · Koeltz Scientific Books · 1984 · ISBN 3874292169 ↩︎An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
  11. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎