ELDERBERRY PANAX / SMALL BASSWOOD (Polyscias sambucifolia) Seeds

Polyscias sambucifolia is an evergreen Shrub growing to 4.5 m (14ft 9in) at a medium rate. The Elderberry Panax is not related to the Northern Hemisphere plant, elderberry, taste more like blueberries than elderberries!

This tall wispy shrub is found in a variety of forest habitats, wet or dry sclerophyll forest, open forest, woodland and rainforest. Moist gullies or sheltered slopes. Stabilises soils along gullies where it naturally occurs.

Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.

Excellent for shady moist gardens, indoor containers, and for quick-growing screens. Responds to pruning. Remove suckers at ground level.

Flowering
Cream to greenish-yellow, Nov-Feb. Profuse, but rarely conspicuous.

Rarely commercially available.

Bush Food: Berries - edible when a pale, steely-blue/mauve colour and are quite succulent described as having a sweet taste with a somewhat astringent finish. Fruit matures from January to April.

Germination: Sow the seeds in seed raising mix- not too deep or too thick. They usually germinate in around one month.