Araliaceae FAMILY Least Concern

Neopanax arboreus

Edibility

1/5

Medicinal

0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Tree

Growth—

Neopanax arboreus is native to the warm temperate and subtropical regions of New Zealand, It is not a very cold-hardy plant, able to tolerate short periods with temperatures down to around -5°c when fully dormant^[1]. Requires a moist but well-drained humus-rich soil in semi-shade or full sun^[1]. Plants often start out life as epiphytes on the stems of tree ferns, eventually extending their roots down into the ground^[2]. This species has three distinctive forms of foliage at different stages in their life-cycle. The second stage, as a sapling, is often the most interesting from a gardener's viewpoint^[1]. Large plants respond well to heavy pruning and careful transplanting^[1]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus^[1]. Dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

Propagation

Seed - best sown when ripe in the autumn in a warm greenhouse^[1]. 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, mid summer in a frame^[1]. Air layering^[1]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Neopanax+arboreus>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

[1]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.
[2]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.
[3]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.
[4]Native Edible Plants of New Zealand. — Crowe. A. · Hodder and Stoughton · 1990 · ISBN 0-340-508302 ↩︎A very well written and illustrated book based on the authors own experiments with living on a native diet.
[5]People Plants Database — https://maoriplantuse.landcareresearch.co.nz/WebForms/default.aspx ↩︎An online database of New Zealand plants and their Maori names and uses. An excellent information source.