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Nothofagus gunnii
Also called Tanglefoot Beech, Tanglefoot
Tanglefoot, or deciduous beech, is a small tree or thick woody shrub native to the high alpine and sub-alpine areas of Tasmania. It is rarely grown in gardens because it is slow and performs poorly outside its natural cool, wet, high-altitude conditions.
Nothofagus gunnii, the tanglefoot or deciduous beech, is a deciduous shrub or small tree endemic to the highlands of Tasmania, Australia. It was described in 1847 by R.C Gunn N. gunnii is a small woody tree with a shrubby appearance known to grow up to 8 metres (26 ft). It lives only on mountains due to temperature limitations within the Tasmanian maritime climate and mainly grows at elevations above 800 metres (2,600 ft) above sea level. It grows in alpine and sub-alpine regions in the central portions of the island. Though capable of reaching the size of a small tree, it is most common as a thick shrub or woody ground cover, hence its common name of "tanglefoot".
Nothofagus gunnii requires around 1,800 mm of rain spread throughout the year to be cultivated, cool temperatures not below -10 °C and also requires full sun. It grows in deep peaty soils. It is best grown from fresh seed collected in a 'mast' year, germinating in a few weeks. It is believed that a beneficial mycorrhyzal fungus is required for the long-term success of the plant. Cuttings can be struck, taken in late winter before bud burst.
Nothofagus gunnii is rarely seen in cultivation due to its poor performance and slow growth. It is believed to be a candidate plant for bonsai.
Nothofagus gunnii is endemic to the island of Tasmania, and is restricted to high altitude and relatively high rainfall areas with no recent fire activity. It was discovered at the summit of Mount Olympus in central Tasmania, and is also known at several locations within the Mount Field National Park and on Cradle Mountain. It is considered a paleoendemic species to Tasmania. Macrofossils of this species have been discovered within Oligocene sediments in Tasmania.
Nothofagus aequilateralis · Nothofagus alessandrii · Rauli · Antarctic Beech · Nothofagus balansae · Nothofagus baumanniae · Nothofagus beardmorensis · Magellan's Beech · Nothofagus brassii · Nothofagus carrii · Mountain Beech · Nothofagus codonandra
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Nothofagus gunnii by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
