Podocarpus macrophyllus: A specimen plant that does the job

I talk a lot in these columns and in my gardening classes about landscape plants that have various elements of aesthetic interest and about plants that are weird, unusual, or uniquely noteworthy. It goes without saying that plants that can grab your attention for one reason or another are highly valued by many gardeners. However, not every plant in the landscape has to be a star.  Some plants need to just do their job, to paraphrase the legendary Bill Belichick.  I covered one such plant recently in my column about mondo grass, but Podocarpus is another one of those types of plants. Perhaps it won’t knock your socks off, but it’ll do its job and usually do it well. 

Podocarpus macrophyllus, also known as Japanese Plum Yew, Yew Pine, Buddhist Pine, or simply Podocarpus, is a slow-growing, compact, evergreen shrub that usually grows to a height of about six feet tall.  It has long slender leaves that are similar to the English yew, Taxus baccata, though Podocarpus are generally much larger.  Older leaves are a deeper green color, but new growth each spring (or following each pruning) is typically a lighter green.  The flowers are fairly insignificant, but they give way to an interesting fruit in late summer.  The fruit are technically considered a cone, botanically speaking, with two parts: a red fleshy segment called an aril, and 1-2 greenish-yellow seeds attached to the aril.  Although the aril is edible, its seeds are poisonous, so you may want to resist any temptation to sample if you happen to see the fruit in their full glory.

Top left:  Podocarpus fruit and seeds. Center, left: Leaf buds. Photo: J. Gaither, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Bottom left: Hedge. Top right: Leaf. Bottom right: Shaped into a topiary.

Where does this plant fit into our landscapes?  It is very tolerant of pruning, and has a naturally slow growth rate and dense growth habit.  This makes it ideal for use as a border or hedge.  Think of areas where you may have seen privet or boxwood in a neatly manicured row; this is the kind of landscape usage that would be ideal for podocarpus. It prefers sun and well drained soils, but can tolerate some shade as well.  It may be a good alternative to boxwood in cases where nematodes or soil pathogens have caused damage. 

Though it is ideal as a hedge, podocarpus is occasionally used as a specimen plant due to its slightly unusual leaf shape and texture.  It can be shaped as a topiary, and is often maintained this way when used as a specimen.  It also often is grown as a houseplant.  Indoors, it may have some issues with soft scale insects, but is relatively pest free in most other situations.  It is tolerant to drought, salt, and deer, which may make it a good replacement for other plants that are not so lucky.
 
Matthew Stevens is the County Extension Director and Horticulture Agent for North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s Pitt County Center.  If you have questions about this article or gardening in general, please contact the Pitt County Extension Master Gardeners at [email protected] or 252-902-1705.