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Eucryphia cordifolia

Common name:	Ulmo	Family:	Eucryphiaceae
Author:	Cav.	Botanical references:	1, 11
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	S. America - C. Chile.
Habitat:	Cool rainforests at low altitudes[184] in Arauco and Chiloe provinces, especially in the hills of La Costa[139].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	0	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	cordifolia = heart shaped leaves;

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen tree growing to 20m by 8m at a medium rate. It is hardy to zone 9. It is in leaf all year, in flower in August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees and insects. It is noted for attracting wildlife. We rate it 0/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soil. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Canopy, Secondary.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

Charcoal; Fuel; Tannin; Wood.

The bark is a source of tannin[46, 139].
Wood - strong, hard, very close grained. Used for furniture, flooring, oars etc. Very good quality, though it is not as good as Fitzroya spp[139]. It makes a very good fuel and is a source of charcoal[139].

Cultivation details

Succeeds in any well-drained open loamy soil[1, 11]. It is quite tolerant of chalky soils[184] but prefers an acid humus-rich soil[182, 200]. Prefers to have its roots in the shade but its canopy in the sun[166, 200].
This species only really thrives in cool moist maritime climates, tolerating temperatures down to -10°c[184]. It succeeds outdoors in Britain in Sussex and south and west from there[11].
Plants rarely exceed 10 metres in height in cultivation in Britain.
Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[200].
A good bee plant[46, 61, 139].

Propagation

Seed - sow February in a greenhouse. The seed should be stored cool and dry over the winter. Germination is usually good[78]. 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, 6 - 8cm with a heel, June/July in individual pots in a frame. Roots in 5 - 6 weeks. A variable percentage succeed[78].
Layering in late summer. Takes 16 months. High percentage[78].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. 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.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[139] ? Flora of Chile. (in Spanish)
Some information about the useful plants of Chile.

[166] Taylor. J. The Milder Garden. Dent 1990
A good book on plants that you didn't know could be grown outdoors in Britain.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. 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.

[184] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs. Pan Books 1989 ISBN 0-330-30258-2
Excellent photographs and a terse description of 1900 species and cultivars.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. 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.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
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