Myopore (Myoporum laetum)

The leaves of the Myoporum laetum are lanceolate and green

Image - Wikimedia / Xemenendura

Do you have room for an evergreen tree that blooms in late winter? If you answered yes, I will introduce you to myoporum laetum, an ideal plant to grow in warm or mild climates, and that I am sure will give you great satisfaction. Why? Because it is very easy to care 😉.

In addition, its flowers, although they are not more than two centimeters wide, are of a beautiful white color with purple tips. Know their cares.

Origin and characteristics

View of Myoporum laetum in habitat

Image - Wikimedia / Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz

It is an evergreen tree (it loses its leaves little by little throughout the year, and not in a certain season) native to New Zealand. Its scientific name is myoporum laetum, although it is popularly known as myopore, evergreen or transparent. It grows to a maximum height of 10 meters.

The leaves are lanceolate, with entire or somewhat serrated edges, and are covered by small translucent glands. The flowers, which sprout from late winter to mid-spring, are 1,5 to 2cm wide, white and hermaphroditic.. The fruit is a globular drupe of 6-9mm in diameter that contains an oval-quadrangular seed.

Uses

The myopore, apart from being used as an ornamental, either as an isolated specimen, in hedges or as a potted plant, it is necessary to know that rubbing the leaves on the skin will repel mosquitoes.

Of course, it should not be consumed under any circumstances, since it contains ngaione, which is a toxin that can cause disease, and even death in sheep, pigs and cattle.

What are cares?

The flower of the Myoporum laetum is white

Image - Flickr / David Eickhoff

If you want to have a copy, we recommend that you provide it with the following care:

  • Location: it must be outside, in full sun.
  • Earth:
    • Garden: grows in a wide variety of soils, although it prefers those that are fertile.
    • Pot: universal growing substrate.
  • Irrigation: water 3-4 times a week in summer, and every 4-5 days the rest of the year.
  • Subscriber: in spring and summer it is advisable to pay with guano, compost or others ecological fertilizers.
  • Multiplication: by seeds in winter (they need to be cold before germinating) and cuttings in spring.
  • Rusticity: it resists weak frosts down to -5ºC, but if not lower than 0º better.

What did you think of the myoporum laetum?


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  1.   Carmelo Wheat Maldonado said

    Hello, I have planted 100 linear meters of myoporum in my plot, and they are quite large. I have only pruned them once last spring, but I have noticed that they have been quite bare of leaves and the branches are very visible, they have been quite ugly. Could you advise me what I have to do to get it to become thick again. The irrigation that I have put in is drip throughout the hedge but I notice that they do not cover much.
    Another question I want to ask you is if I can, and how should I do it, plant another line of about 15 meters with the branches that I cut in the pruning. Thank you.

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hi Carmelo.
      To get them to remove branches and of course also leaves in their lower half, you must trim the branches every year.

      Achieving it will take time, but if you cut back annually you will see that they will be more and more populated with leaves.

      Regarding your question: yes, you can take advantage of the cuttings to have another line. If you can, the ideal is to plant them in pots, previously impregnating their base with rooting hormones, and keep them there until they take off leaves. If you want to put them directly in the garden, it is highly recommended to protect them with a mosquito net or similar type so that they do not have problems with possible predators.

      Greetings.

      1.    Tatiana said

        I have a fence with my pores, but a horrible black plague is growing on them, which is advancing through the trunk and branches of the tree. And I don't know how to fix it.

        1.    Monica Sanchez said

          Hi Tatiana.
          I recommend treating it with an antifungal product (fungicide) as soon as possible. Spray / mist all parts of the plant, at dusk when the sun is 'setting'.
          regards

  2.   Fernando said

    Hello friends, very interesting post, I am bushes are very leafy and grow very fast, in my case every 8 months there is to cut them and model them since it grows everywhere, it is always bright and its flowers are very beautiful. Regarding what is cut, do you recommend using it to carry it in the compost bin? or will its chemicals harm the earth?

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hello Fernando.

      Any remaining pruning from plants will be used to compost, unless these plants have been cared for using chemicals. The only thing you have to bear in mind is that woody branches take longer to decompose than green ones.

      Regards!

    2.    Jimena said

      I have myospores as a living fence, and I am concerned that they are drying out in the middle. They measure about 3 meters. I have to cut them artiba or I have to remove all the dry branches in between. Please your orientation. Thank you.

      1.    Monica Sanchez said

        Hello Jimena.

        One question: when you water, do you direct the water towards that area, that is, towards the middle of the plants? It could be that they were drying out because of that. So it is important to always water directing the water to the ground, or at most to the base of the trunk or stem.

        You can remove the dry leaves, but also check if it has any pests. In case they have, spray / mist them with water and mild soap mixed in the late afternoon.

        Greetings.

      2.    Edith said

        Hello, I need to plant myopores for a fence, how should I prepare the soil?
        How many cm should I plant them?
        And they have white bugs like how do I eliminate them?

        1.    Monica Sanchez said

          Hi Edith.

          You have to remove the grass and stones that are in the area where you want to plant them, and then mix the soil with organic compost (horse manure for example, or worm castings).

          Afterwards, they are planted at a minimum distance of 40 centimeters between them.

          The pest they have from what you say could be mealybugs. If they are small plants, you can remove them with a brush and soap and water.

          Greetings.

  3.   Javiera said

    Hello I have planted my porum how I live fence they are already 1 meter my question is how often to prune them up and on the side to give it a rectangular shape Thank you

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hi Javiera.

      It will depend on the size, and the rate of growth they have in your area. If you see that its branches are growing too long, then feel free to trim them. This has to be done every year or every two years, as long as we talk about adult plants.

      If they are young seedlings, with green stems, the ideal is to let them grow on their own until they have a woody trunk.

      Greetings.

  4.   Flavio said

    Hello, I want to make a living fence of myospore, I would like to know how deep, how far from a wall it should be planted, how often to prune.

    THANK YOU SO MUCH

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hi Flavio.

      I say to you:

      -Depth: it will depend on the soil bread / root ball that the plant has at that time. If it is 20cm tall, a 25-30cm hole will have to be made.
      -Wall distance: 1 meter will suffice, or a meter and a half if you want it to have a more natural appearance.
      -Pruning: in late winter, but only if necessary. That is, if the plants are very young, pruning should only consist of reducing the length of the stems and pinching them so that they acquire a hedge shape.

      Greetings.

  5.   Ricardo said

    Hello, I have been planting myospores little by little in my plot, the first ones are about 10 months old and already measure more than 1 meter, they are 90 cm apart, but the branches of the largest ones have already joined, I can prune them or I must wait more time? I have always washed them with water recovered from the shower, sink and dishwasher (the dishwasher goes through a degreasing chamber before).

    They have not taken flowers or seeds, when should they give? I live in the north of Chile.

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hi Ricardo.

      Yes, you can prune them now. But trim the branches only a little. It is better to avoid drastic pruning and more when they are young.

      Greetings.

  6.   Constance said

    Hello, ask how mine is reproduced poro ?, seed or almacigo?

    Every few meters should I plant them?

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hello Constance.

      It can be multiplied by seeds and cuttings.

      And they are planted about 40cm from each other.

      Regards!

  7.   rafael said

    I have in a row for about 20 meters and they are small for about two years and they have stagnated in growth.
    they are green and pretty but they don't grow much and

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hello Rafael.

      If they are good, perhaps what they lack is compost. Have you paid them? If not, it would be highly recommended to do it from spring to late summer, for example with worm humus or compost if you usually do.

      Greetings.