Pseudopanax ferox

Pseudopanax ferox is a rather unusual New Zealand shrub that will delight lovers of rare exotic plants. This strange species goes through three successive stages to obtain its definitive foliage. The juvenile leaves are thin, rigid, brownish-grey and edged with teeth on both sides like a double-toothed saw blade, while the adult leaves, carried in a crown on a slender trunk, are shorter, wider, rounded, with smooth edges. Strange and graphic, it deserves a prime spot in an ericaceous bed, in mild climates. Gardeners in colder regions can offer it a prominent place on the terrace during the summer and protect it from severe frosts in winter.

Pseudopanax ferox belongs to the Araliaceae family, just like the Japanese angelica tree. It is native to New Zealand, specifically the low-altitude forests that cover some coastal valleys. Threatened in its natural habitat, it has become rare there, just as it is quite rare in cultivation. It is a shrub that prefers humus-rich, fertile, and rather acidic soil, and oceanic climates, mild and humid. It can reach a height of 8 m (26ft), but takes up little space on the ground: at maturity, its crown will not occupy more than 1.50 m (5ft) in width. Its growth is quite fast. Young plants grow on a single trunk, bearing spectacular juvenile leaves, oriented towards the ground, 45 cm (18in) long, inserted at an angle of less than 45 °C. They are thick, rigid, grey-green tinged with brown, edged with rounded teeth and crossed by a light green central vein. Over time, this shrub becomes bare at the base and develops a spreading crown at the top of its trunk, bearing adult leaves. They measure 15 cm (6in) long, are lanceolate in shape, and dark green in color. The mature plant produces umbels 10 cm (4in) wide, with clusters of green flowers. In this Pseudopanax, there are male and female individuals. Only the female plants will bear small black ovoid fruits after pollination.

Cultivated most often for the strange beauty of its juvenile leaves, Pseudopanax ferox is an almost fossil-like plant, fascinating, a survivor from ancient forests. It is appreciated for its otherworldly design, which, let's admit, is quite difficult to integrate into a classical garden. However, this shrub has its rightful place in a large exotic bed, in the company of tree ferns (Dicksonia), Cycas, Araucaria (in a large garden), or horsetails, for example. Hardy to -7 °C, it requires a lime-poor, humus-rich, well-drained soil and a sheltered exposure from cold and dry winds in mild climates. It is also a beautiful collector's plant that can be cultivated in a large pot, to be sheltered in a conservatory or greenhouse during the winter.