New Zealand native evergreen tree with one of the most extreme juvenile-adult foliage transitions in plant biology — long stiff toothed pendant juvenile leaves on a slender single stem, transforming around 15 years to a normally branched tree with short oval leaves.
Hardiness ratings
| System | Rating | Temperature range | How to read it |
|---|---|---|---|
| USDA hardiness zone | Zone 8–10 | −12.2 °C to 4.4 °C | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
| RHS hardiness rating | H4 | −10 °C to −5 °C | Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance |
| Canadian plant hardiness zone | Zone 9 | −1 °C and warmer | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
| Australian (ANBG) zone | Zone 3–5 | −5 °C to 10 °C | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
Growing notes
- Native to New Zealand — found throughout both main islands
- Extreme juvenile-adult foliage transformation is the defining feature — juvenile leaves are stiff, dark, toothed, pendant; adult leaves short, smooth, oval; theory holds the juvenile form was an evolutionary response to browsing by extinct giant moa
- Slender architectural form when juvenile — striking in modern landscape design
- Frost-tolerant to about -5 °C
Categories
Related plants
Cross-check Lancewood against your zones