Family Index

Scientific Name

Pentachondra pumila

Family Name

EPACRIDACEAE

Common Name

Carpet Heath

Status

Height

Flowers

Usually white, solitary at the end of short branches.

Fruit

Berries or drupes

Form

Woody plant growing in dense matted patches.

Municipalities

Break O'Day; Central Coast; Central Highlands; Circular Head; Derwent Valley; Dorset; Hobart; Huon Valley; Kentish; Launceston; Meander Valley; Northern Midlands; Waratah-Wynyard; West Coast

Communities

Heath; Montane Vegetation; Sedgeland and Wetland

Habitat Notes

Locally abundant in alpine heath and sedgeland in the southernmost western mountains.

Site Tolerance

Exposed; Moist; Windy

Frost Tolerance

Hardy

Soil Tolerance

Poor; Poorly-drained; Well-drained

General Notes

Suitable below powerlines.

Propagation Details

Propagation Calendar

Flowering Months

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Seed Collecting Months

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Sowing Months

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Cutting Months

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Seed Information

Seed Collection

Fruit, a red berry-like drupe,spherical 6-8mm in diameter

Seed Treatment Method

Fermentation

Seed Storage Life

Viable Seeds Per Gram

Seed Treatment Notes

Difficult to propagate from seed collected from plants. Seeds are said to germinate better after passage through a bird's intestine.

Germination Time

Suitable for Direct Seeding

Cuttings

Expected Time to Take Root

Expected Time to Plant Out

Propagation by Division N.B. Transplant only from nearby to avoid disease.

Cutting Notes

Particular care should be taken when handling the minute seedlings because they develop long, fine roots. A well-composted soil is essential and care should be taken not to let plants dry out.