Hawaiian Native Plant Propagation Database
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Artemisia australis |
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Description Artemisia australis is a small to medium sized aromatic shrub. It generally grows to 4 or 5 feet tall with an equal diameter, but it can reach 10 feet in height. The leaves are finely divided into somewhat linear segments. They are gray green to silvery, especially on the undersides, and can be slightly fuzzy. The small flowers are borne on leafless heads only slightly above the top leaves. (Koob 1998; Wagner 1990) |
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Habitat and Geographic Range Artemisia australis is a Hawaiian endemic plant. It is native to all the main Hawaiian islands and is usually found on exposed windward cliff faces. It occurs at elevations up to 3,500 feet. (Wagner 1990) |
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Propagation by Seeds The seeds of Artemisia australis are small and germinate best when fresh. They lose viability after about a year. Sow the seeds on moist sterile potting soil and cover them lightly with fine sand or fine peat moss. Keep the medium moist. (Koob 1998) |
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Propagation by Cuttings Artemisia australis is easily grown from cuttings. Use tip cuttings 3 to 4 inches long. Remove the lower leaves and about half of each of the upper leaves to reduce transpiration. Rooting hormones are not necessary, but Criley found that weak hormone solutions speed up rooting. Use a well-drained medium such as 3 parts perlite to 1 part vermiculite or a mix of 1 part potting mix to 2 or 3 parts perlite. Place the containers in a shaded, covered location and water every other day until rooted. Maintaining a high humidity environment results in better rooting than placing the cuttings under intermittent mist. Rooting takes place in 4 to 8 weeks. (Criley 1998; Koob 1998; NTBG 1998) |
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Propagation by Division Not applicable. |
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Propagation by Air Layers No information located to date. |
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Propagation by Grafting No information located to date. |
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Propagation by Tissue Culture No information located to date. |
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References
Criley, Richard A. 1998. Propagation of indigenous and endemic ornamental Hawaiian plants. Combined Proceedings of the International Plant Propagators' Society 48:669-674. Criley, Richard A. 1999. Aloha Hawai'i. American Nurseryman 190 (3):50-61. Koob, Gregory A. 1998. 'Ahinahina. Hawai'i Horticulture 1 (5):3-5. National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG). 1998. Native Hawaiian plant: 'Ahinahina. In Native Hawaiian plant information sheets. Lawai, Kauai: Hawaii Plant Conservation Center. National Tropical Botanical Garden. Unpublished internal papers. Wagner, Warren L., Darrel R. Herbst, and S. H. Sohmer. 1990. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawai'i. 2 vols., Bishop Museum Special Publication 83. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press and Bishop Museum Press. p. 263. |
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The image in this record is used with permission from Dr. Gerald Carr's Web site "Hawaiian Native Plants" at http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/carr/natives.htm
6 April 2001
Please send comments and suggestions to eherring@hawaii.edu