Succeeds in sun or semi-shade in any moderately fertile soil, including a limey soil, so long as it does not dry out in the growing season. Another report says that it requires an acid, well-drained soil and does well in the semi-shade of a sheltered woodland. Requires a warm position sheltered from cold winds. This species is not very hardy in Britain, tolerating temperatures down to about -5°c, it succeeds outdoors in the mildest areas of the country. The leaves are aromatic.

None known

Seed - sow February or March in a warm greenhouse. Germination rates are variable. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts, and consider giving them some protection from the cold for their first winter or two outdoors. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8cm with a heel, July/August in individual pots in sandy soil in a frame. Keep them moist. Fair percentage. Layering in spring.

Lowland semi-swamp and gully forests in North and South Islands, south to latitude 46°s.