Pseudopanax crassifolius Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Pseudopanax crassifolius — 17cm / 2L
Lancewood

Pseudopanax crassifolius

£29.99
Hardy in the UKSun-lovingShade-tolerantEvergreen
Pot size
17cm / 2L £29.99

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Description

Lancewood, Pseudopanax crassifolius, starts life as a single unbranched stem hung with stiff, sword-like leaves that angle sharply downwards. The juvenile leaves are sharply toothed, up to about 1m long, and dark green to purple-black with a red to orange midrib. After 15 to 20 years it branches and forms a rounded head of shorter adult leaves.

This is the simple-leaved species: each juvenile leaf is a single, undivided blade. For the form with leaves split into three narrow leaflets, see our Pseudopanax crassifolius trifoliolatus.

Rated RHS H4, established plants take down to -10°C. Young leaves are less frost resistant than adult foliage, so plant in a sheltered spot out of cold, drying winds, and in cold or inland gardens keep a young plant in a pot with winter protection until it is larger. Its narrow footprint makes it a striking accent for architectural planting, courtyards, gravel and pots. What you receive: a young plant in a 17cm (2 litre) pot.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

  • Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
  • It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
  • Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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How to care for Lancewood

Plant me in full sun and I will stand a UK winter outdoors.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
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About Lancewood

Pseudopanax crassifolius needs full sun or partial shade and moist but well-drained soil. It is hardy to around −10°C, standing an average UK winter outdoors.

Good for

Architectural Exotic Borders Pots & Containers

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

RHS H4 · Hardy Exotic · down to around −10°C

RHS H4, minimum -10°C for established plants. In harsh winters it can die back in colder parts of the UK, and juvenile leaves are less frost resistant than adult foliage, so in cold or inland gardens give young plants winter protection until they are larger. More tough foliage plants are in our hardy exotics.

Position

Full sunPartial shadeWest-facingSheltered

Full sun or partial shade, in a sheltered position; a west-facing spot suits it. Keep it out of cold, drying winds. Its slim, upright shape fits tight courtyard corners and exotic borders.

Soil

ClayLoamSandMoist but well-drainedWell-drainedAcid pH

Clay, loam or sand, moist but well-drained or freely draining, on the acid side. Plant in free-draining soil, or use it as a tall accent in a large pot.

Watering

Water regularly through the first growing seasons while it establishes, in soil that drains freely. Keep pot plants moist but never waterlogged. Read moreShow less

Water regularly through the first growing seasons while it establishes, in soil that drains freely. Keep pot plants moist but never waterlogged.

Mature size

Height5 m
Spread2.5 m

Growth habit

Columnar/upright

Flowering

Summer to early autumn, on mature plants only · Green

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Evergreen

Pruning

No routine pruning needed: remove broken, diseased or crossing branches in late autumn or winter. Do not cut back the leader of a juvenile plant.

Native range

Endemic to New Zealand: North, South and Stewart Islands, in lowland to montane forest from sea level to about 750m

Family

Araliaceae

Also known as

Pseudopanax crassifolius

Genus

Pseudopanax
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between this lancewood and Pseudopanax crassifolius trifoliolatus?

Both share the same single stem, toothed leaves and eventual rounded head. The difference is in the juvenile leaves: this species has simple, undivided, sword-shaped leaves up to about 1m long, while the trifoliolatus form has each leaf split into three very narrow leaflets. Kew treats trifoliolatus as a synonym of the species; the RHS still lists it as var. trifoliolatus.

Is lancewood native to New Zealand?

Yes. It is endemic to New Zealand, on the North, South and Stewart Islands, in lowland to montane forest from sea level to about 750m. Its Māori name is horoeka, and it belongs to the Araliaceae family.

Can you prune a lancewood?

It needs no routine pruning. Remove broken, diseased or crossing branches in late autumn or winter, and never cut back the leader of a juvenile plant, because that single stem is the plant's defining feature.

How tall does Pseudopanax crassifolius grow?

Around 5m in a UK garden, with a spread of about 2.5m; wild trees reach 15m. It stays a narrow single stem for 15 to 20 years before branching, which makes it a strong choice for architectural planting where space is tight.

Is Pseudopanax crassifolius evergreen?

Yes, it holds its leaves all year. Mature plants flower from summer to early autumn with greenish flowers, and pollinated female plants then carry small black berries, as the sexes are on separate plants. Browse more evergreen plants.

What are the ideal growing conditions for Pseudopanax crassifolius?

Sun or partial shade, shelter from cold, drying winds, and free-draining clay, loam or sand on the acid side. It suits exotic borders and makes a strong focal point in a pot.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 7 days with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
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Packaged with Care

Packaged with Care

Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

Perfect for Gifting

Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

Delivered fresh, beautiful, and gift-ready.

Sustainability at Heart

Sustainability at Heart

All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

Good for your home - and the planet.

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