Pseudopanax crassifolius f. trifoliolatus Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Pseudopanax crassifolius f. trifoliolatus — 23cm / 5L (Collection Only)23cm / 5L (Collection Only)
Pseudopanax crassifolius f. trifoliolatus Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Pseudopanax crassifolius f. trifoliolatus Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Lancewood (Horoeka)

Pseudopanax crassifolius f. trifoliolatus

£49.99
Protect from hard frostSun-lovingShade-tolerantEvergreen
Pot size
23cm / 5L (Collection Only) £49.99

FREE tracked delivery on orders over £60

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Description

Pseudopanax crassifolius f. trifoliolatus is the three-leaved form of New Zealand's famous lancewood tree, known to Maori as horoeka, and one of the strangest, most sculptural plants you can grow in a UK garden. A single slim stem carries stiff, downward-angled leaves in threes, each narrow lobe dark bronze-green with a raised midrib, so the whole plant reads as a living piece of architecture rather than a conventional shrub. Almost nothing else looks like it.

Lancewood is heteroblastic, keeping this extraordinary juvenile form for a decade or more before it eventually broadens into a round-headed small tree at around 5 m. That slow transformation is part of the appeal: you get many years of the narrow, otherworldly silhouette that makes it such a prized specimen among hardy exotics collectors.

How and where to grow

  • Position: full sun to partial shade, sheltered from cold, drying winds.
  • Soil: any fertile, free-draining soil; drainage matters more than type.
  • Size: slowly to around 5 m tall and only 1 m wide, a genuinely narrow footprint.
  • Hardiness: H3, to around -5C established. Fine outdoors in mild and coastal gardens; give winter protection in cold inland areas.

Its pencil-thin outline slots into gaps no other plant can use, rising through low planting in an exotic border, standing sentinel in gravel, or anchoring a courtyard as a long-term specimen in a pot alongside our other plants for pots and containers. Pair it with the contrasting foliage of Schefflera alpina or broad-leaved architectural foliage for maximum drama.

Every lancewood we supply is nursery-grown, selected for a strong leader and healthy foliage, and packed with care to arrive in superb condition. For honest guidance on what to expect from exotic plants through a British winter, read our seasonal expectations guide.

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 (Horoeka)

Plant me in full sun and protect me when hard frost threatens.

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 (Horoeka)

Pseudopanax crassifolius f. trifoliolatus needs full sun or partial shade and moist but well-drained soil. It is half-hardy to around −5°C and needs protection from hard frost.

Good for

Architectural Exotic Borders Pots & Containers

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

Semi-Hardy (H3): down to around −5°C. Half-hardy; reliable in mild or coastal gardens, protect in colder areas.

Rated H3, happy to around -5C once established. In mild and coastal gardens it grows outside year round; in colder inland spots give it a sheltered wall, fleece young plants in hard frost, or grow it in a large pot moved under cover for the worst spells. Read moreShow less

Rated H3, happy to around -5C once established. In mild and coastal gardens it grows outside year round; in colder inland spots give it a sheltered wall, fleece young plants in hard frost, or grow it in a large pot moved under cover for the worst spells.

Position

Full sunPartial shadeEast-facingSouth-facingWest-facingSheltered
Full sun to partial shade, with shelter from cold, drying winds. A warm, protected corner keeps the extraordinary juvenile foliage in top condition. Read moreShow less

Full sun to partial shade, with shelter from cold, drying winds. A warm, protected corner keeps the extraordinary juvenile foliage in top condition.

Soil

LoamSandMoist but well-drainedWell-drainedAcid pHNeutral pH
Any fertile, free-draining soil. Good drainage matters more than soil type; it dislikes cold, waterlogged roots in winter. Read moreShow less

Any fertile, free-draining soil. Good drainage matters more than soil type; it dislikes cold, waterlogged roots in winter.

Watering

Water regularly through the first two summers while the root system establishes, then only in prolonged dry spells. In pots, water when the top few centimetres dry out and ease right off in winter. Read moreShow less

Water regularly through the first two summers while the root system establishes, then only in prolonged dry spells. In pots, water when the top few centimetres dry out and ease right off in winter.

Mature size

Height4-8 m
Spread1-2 m

Reaches full size in 10-20 years

Growth habit

Columnar/upright

Flowering

Jun-Jul

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Evergreen

Pruning

No routine pruning. Never cut the single leader; remove only damaged leaves at their base in spring.

Toxicity

No reported toxicity to people or pets; the rigid, toothed leaves are physically tough rather than harmful.

Native range

New Zealand

Family

Araliaceae

Also known as

Pseudopanax crassifolius f. trifoliolatus

Genus

Pseudopanax
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

How hardy is Pseudopanax crassifolius in the UK?

Lancewood is rated H3, comfortable to around -5C once established. It grows outside year round in mild, coastal and urban gardens, but in colder inland areas it wants a sheltered position and fleece protection in severe frost. Young plants are the most vulnerable, so protect them for their first few winters. See our seasonal expectations guide for how we rate hardiness honestly.

How do I care for a lancewood?

Very little is needed. Plant it in free-draining soil in sun or part shade, sheltered from cold winds, and water well for the first two summers. After that it is remarkably self-sufficient. It also makes a superb long-term container plant alongside our other plants for pots and containers.

Can you prune a lancewood?

No routine pruning is needed, and cutting the single growing stem would ruin the plant's natural pole-like form. Simply remove any damaged leaves at the base. The narrow silhouette is the whole point: it slots into tight spaces where no other architectural plant will fit.

Why does lancewood look so different when mature?

Pseudopanax crassifolius is heteroblastic: it keeps its bizarre, downward-pointing juvenile leaves for 10 to 20 years, then transforms, broadening into a round-headed small tree with shorter upright leaves. In New Zealand this is thought to have evolved to deter browsing moa. You are buying decades of the dramatic juvenile stage.

Is Pseudopanax poisonous to pets?

Pseudopanax has no reported toxicity to people, dogs or cats. The rigid, toothed leaves are physically tough rather than harmful, making it a safe choice for family gardens.

Can Pseudopanax crassifolius grow in a pot?

Yes, exceptionally well. Its narrow, vertical habit and slow growth make it one of the best hardy exotics for a container. Use a loam-based compost with added grit, ensure the pot drains freely, and move it somewhere sheltered in hard winters.

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 48 hours 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.
Why Grow Tropicals

Plants delivered the way they deserve

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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Pseudopanax crassifolius f. trifoliolatus
£49.99