Elaeocarpus hookerianus aka Pokaka

Elaeocarpus hookerianus is a tree from New Zealand. It is evergreen and keeps its leaves all year. Its common name is pokaka. It belongs to the plant family Elaeocarpaceae. Its home range spans the North, South and Stewart Islands. It grows in forests, from low ground into the mountains. Its reported range runs south from about 35° south latitude. Forests thus form a key part of its home range. It is not native to Britain or Ireland.

The sources give no height or crown width for full-grown trees. They give no details of its bark or leaf shape. Its flowers have both male and female organs. This tells us how the flowers are built. It does not tell us how pollen moves between them. The sources do not say when the tree blooms. Nor do they give a clear account of its fruit.

Plants For A Future lists sun and light woodland shade. It suggests woodland gardens and their sunny edges as sites. The tree needs moist soil that drains well. The listed soils include sand, loam and clay. The stated pH range runs from mildly acid to mildly alkaline. These notes suggest it may suit a range of garden sites. They do not show how it copes with drought. Nor do they show how it copes with waterlogged soil.

The source leaves its response to British winters in doubt. Plants For A Future lists USDA zones 8–11. Yet its growing notes say its British hardiness remains unclear. It suggests the mildest parts of Britain may suit it. Much of this advice concerns the genus, not this species. Those broad notes do not show its exact cold limits. The sources name no pests or diseases that cause problems.

Plants For A Future gives ways to grow new plants. These use both seeds and cuttings. It says to sow seeds under glass in spring. Seeds may take two years or more to sprout. Keep young plants under glass for at least their first winter. Plant them out after the last frost you expect. It also describes taking cuttings in late summer. Leave the leaves on their stems. The plant has a recorded use as a blue-black dye. The source suggests bark may yield it, but this remains unclear. It lists no known food or medicinal uses. It also lists no known hazards, but this does not prove safety.