Eucryphia is a small genus whose distribution spans Chile, Tasmania and southeastern mainland Australia.
Two of the species flowering at present in the Dunedin Botanic Garden are natives of the temperate broadleaved rainforest of coastal Chile.
Their simple flowers are lightly scented, around 6cm in diameter and creamy white with conspicuous protruding yellow stamens.
Ulmo
Commonly called ulmo, Eucryphia cordifolia is one of the dominant trees in the rainforest, often attaining an elegant 40m high.
With decay-resistant wood, ulmo is milled for its timber. The simple toothed leaves are evergreen, leathery, and matt dark green with greyish undersides.
In cultivation in Dunedin it is slow growing and does not reach majestic rainforest height, but is more like a large shrub.
It may be trimmed lightly and along with the two mentioned below in this article, has proved hardy in our climate.
‘Guindo santo'
Eucryphia glutinosa grows in drier areas of the rainforest, is not as tall (up to 7m) and is often multi-trunked. It has serrated dark green pinnate leaves, and the bark is smooth and red-coloured.
Chileans refer to it as guindo santo, the blessed sour cherry tree. It is slow growing in cultivation and usually becomes deciduous, taking on brilliant autumn colours.
This is the hardiest of all the species and there is a splendid specimen in the South American border of the Geographic Plant Collection.
Nymansay
The two species are able to interbreed, and flowering in the garden at present is one such deliberate cross, Eucryphia nymansensis ‘Nymansay'. Having taken on characteristics from both parents, it is evergreen and can have both simple and pinnate leaves with large flowers.
Both this and E. cordifolia can be seen in the Lindsay Creek borders in the lower botanic garden.
Robyn Freeth is the rock, water and alpine collection curator at the Dunedin Botanic Garden.
