Tagasaste (aka Tree Lucerne)

Native to: Canary Islands
Number of Seeds: 20

Description: Tagasaste or Tree Lucerne, is a small spreading evergreen tree that grows 3-4m high. Indigenous to the dry volcanic slopes of the Canary Islands. It is a great nitrogen fixing pioneer plant for forest gardens, producing large quantities of foliage biomass for mulch and fodder, firewood and biochar, early season flowers for bees and seeds for birds. If you train your chickens when young it is a wonderful high protein chicken food. First to flower in winter early Spring until November,  seeds drop in January / February. Tagasaste fix nitrogen through soil microbes that are generally present in NZ soils.

Planting Instructions: Early autumn or early spring. Scarify – Place seeds in a tin can/glass and pure boiling water, let soak for 24 hours. Scatter in seed trays. At the end of the first growth spurt prick out into pots. Once 5cm tall, transplant into 1L bags. Plant into permanent position when 50cm high.