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Hoheria sexstylosa

Common name:	Ribbonwood	Family:	Malvaceae
Author:	Col.	Botanical references:	11, 44, 200
Synonyms:	Hoheria populnea lanceolata (Hook.f.), Hoheria lanceolata (Hort.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	New Zealand.
Habitat:	Lowland to lower montane forests, especially marginally, in North and South Islands from latitude 36° 30' and southwards[44].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	2	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	sexstylosa = 6 styles;
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Malvales. Mallow family

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen tree growing to 8m by 6m at a fast rate. It is hardy to zone 8 and is frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from July to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). We rate it 2/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

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

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Secondary, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade.

Edible Uses

Inner bark.

Inner bark. A famine food, it is only used in times of scarcity[173]. No more details are given but inner bark is often dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickening in soups etc or mixed with cereals when making bread.

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

The uses listed below have been given for the closely related H. populnea. They can quite possibly also be applied to this species.

A very strong fibre is obtained from the inner bark[128]. It is used for ropes, cord etc[46, 61]. The fibre is also used as ornamentation in basket making and for bonnets etc[128].
Wood - white, very tough. Used by cabinet makers, it also makes an excellent fuel[128].

Cultivation details

Grows in any good, well-drained soil[1]. Requires a position in full sun[184] or dappled shade[200], succeeding in acid or alkaline soils[182]. Plants grown in a soil that is overly rich produce a lot of sappy growth that is more susceptible to frost damage[200]. Withstands strong winds but is best if given protection from cold north-easterly winds[200]. Another report says that it requires a position sheltered from strong winds[125]. Prefers a moist atmosphere[125]. Prefers a maritime climate[200]. Plants grow best in an open clearing in a woodland garden[200].
A very ornamental[1] and fast growing[11] tree, it is only hardy in the milder areas of the country[1, 11, 49], tolerating temperatures down to about -15°c[184]. Plants are prone to damage at temperatures lower than -5°c[200] and are defoliated in cold winters[219].
A very variable plant[11], leaves of young plants are often deeply lobed but on older plants they are more or less entire and toothed[126, 182]. Juvenile plants also have a compact shrubby habit, quite unlike the mature plant[200].
Often self-sows[200].
Plants are subject to attacks by the coral-spot fungus, especially after cool wet summers[126]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[200].
A good butterfly plant[200].

Propagation

Seed - sow autumn in a greenhouse. It usually germinates freely[220]. 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, 7 - 10cm with a heel, July/August in a shady position in a frame. The cuttings should be put in 12cm pots. A fair to good percentage[78].
Layering in April. Takes 12 months[78].

Suppliers

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

Web References

[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for the family Malvaceae.

[CHINA] Draft Data Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

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.

[44] Allan. H. H. Flora of New Zealand. Government Printer, Wellington. 1961
The standard work, in 3 volumes though only the first two are of interest to the plant project. Very good on habitats.

[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.

[49] Arnold-Forster. Shrubs for the Milder Counties.
Trees and shrubs that grow well in &ndndndnd and other mild areas of Britain. Fairly good, a standard reference book.

[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.

[125] ? The Plantsman. Vol. 5. 1983 - 1984. Royal Horticultural Society 1983
Excerpts from the periodical giving cultivation details and other notes on some of the useful plants..

[126] ? The Plantsman. Vol. 6. 1984 - 1985. Royal Horticultural Society 1984
Excerpts from the periodical giving cultivation details and other notes on some of the useful plants including Actinidia and Wisteria species.

[128] Laing. and Blackwell. Plants of New Zealand. Whitcombe and Tombs Ltd 1907
An old flora of New Zealand in a readable style. Some details of plant uses.

[173] Crowe. A. Native Edible Plants of New Zealand. 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.

[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.

[219] Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls Collins 1983 ISBN 0-00-219220-0
A nice little book about plants for growing against walls and a small section on plants that can grow in walls.

[220] Stapleton. C. Bamboos of Nepal The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew 1994 ISBN 0947643680
An excelllent little booklet that looks in some detail at the native bamboos of Nepal, including looking at their uses.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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