Oreopanax capitatus
broad-leaved balsam
A tender evergreen tree, sometimes partly epiphytic in its native tropical cloud forests, often around 5-7m high in cultivation. It has a dense bushy habit and glossy, oval to rounded leaves up to 30cm long, often with wavy margins. Flowering panicles are up to 30cm long, and made up of tiny rounded clusters of greenish-white flowers, sometimes followed by round green berries that ripen to near black
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Size
Ultimate height
4–8 metresTime to ultimate height
20–50 yearsUltimate spread
4–8 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Well–drainedpH
Acid, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Green White | Green | Black | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Green | Black | ||
| Autumn | Green | |||
| Winter | Green White | Green |
Position
- Partial shade
Aspect
East–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H2Botanical details
- Family
- Araliaceae
- Native to GB / Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Habit
- Bushy
- Genus
A genus of mainly evergreen, tropical shrubs and trees native to Central and South America, with variable, palmate, lobed, or radially compound leaves. Panicles of tiny, pale, cream white or greenish-white flowers are followed by dark berries
- Name status
Correct
How to grow
Cultivation
May be grown outdoors in a sheltered, frost-free area; otherwise grow under glass in a free-draining, peat-free, loam-based compost, with protection from midday sun that can bleach the leaves. Often grown for ornamental foliage as it lasts well when cut
Propagation
Propagate by seed or by semi-ripe cuttings
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Sub-tropical
- Conservatory and greenhouse
- Cut flowers
Pruning
No pruning required
Pests
Generally pest-free
Diseases
May be susceptible to fungal leaf spots
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