Common Name: Cabbage Tree

General Information

Pisonia grandis is an evergreen tree with an irregular crown; it usually grows up to 14 metres tall but with exceptional specimens to 30 metres[, ]. The bole is normally 30 - 50cm in diameter[].
The edible leaves are usually gathered from the wild and consumed locally. The plant is sometimes cultivated, especially the form 'Alba' which is a popular local vegetable that is grown especially for its edible leaves, and is often sold in local markets[, ]. It is often grown as an ornamental in the tropics[, ].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Africa - Madagascar; E. Asia - China, India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia to Australia and the Pacific..

Habitat

Forests, where it can be the dominant tree and, in places, forms pure stands[]. Open, dry to semi-dry localities along sandy or rocky coasts, or on limestone, from sea-level up to 1,200 metres, often dominant on atolls and other small islands[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	10.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a soil rich in potassium and a position in full sun or light shade[].
Most members of this genus are dioecious and require both male and female forms if they are to produce fruit[]. This fruit exudes an incredibly sticky mucous that is unaffected by water[]. This mucous sticks to insects and birds, which then become trapped. Larger birds can usually free themselves, though they will often lose some feathers, and they will also have transported the seed to a new location where it can germinate[]. Small birds and insects, however, are unable to escape and usually die[].

Edible Uses

Leaves - cooked[]. The succulent foliage is eaten as a spinach and a pot herb[, ]. A popular vegetable, rich in calcium[].

Medicinal

The leaves are used in the treatment of dysentery[].
Leaves of the cultivar 'Alba' are crushed or heated and applied to swellings or open ulcers, corns, calluses, or applied for oedema of the legs[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is cultivated as a hedge and windbreak in parts of Asia[].
The leaves are used as mulching and green manure[].

Other Uses

The wood is soft[]. It is occasionally used for light construction, fence posts, outhouse flooring, canoes, canoe outriggers, floats and bailers[].
The wood is occasionally used for firewood and to make fire by friction[].

Propagation

Seed -
Cuttings of mature wood.
Layering.

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