For many years Southern California gardens have included the familiar soft, willowy silhouettes of the fern pine, Podocarpus gracilior.
Now another podocarpus is gaining ground in the garden — the Podocarpus henkelii or long-leafed yellowwood.
Podocarpus henkelii is a member of the Podocarpaceae or yellowwood family. Like all yellowwoods, this tree is dioecious, that is there are separate male and female trees.
J.S. Henkel (1871-1962) was the first to recognize that Podocarpus henkelii was not a variety of Podocarpus latifolius but a distinct species. The genus name, Podocarpus, was derived from Greek words podo, meaning foot, and karpos, referring to the fleshy fruit-stalks in some species.
Native to South Africa, the Podocarpus henkelii, with its distinctive dense, green, lush drooping foliage, is considered the most attractive of the yellowwoods. Yellowwoods belong to the primitive group of plants called gymnospermae. Gymnosperms, often called conifers, are cone-bearing plants. Other well-known gymnosperms include cycads, pines and cypresses. Yellowwoods, in general, are regarded as South Africa’s national tree. The Podocarpus henkelii is a protected tree in South Africa.
The Podocarpus henkelii is a tidy and decorative evergreen tree that is well suited to home gardens and larger landscapes. It can make an excellent specimen in lawns and can also fit well in narrow entries, courtyards and patio beds. It can make a delicate informal screen or can be pruned as desired.
In formal gardens, Podocarpus henkelii can be sculpted or can be trained flat as an espalier. It also does well in larger containers.
This is one of the most ornamental trees or shrubs for almost any garden.
Podocarpus henkelii is also easy to grow. This is a low-maintenance plant and is pest free. Although it is moderately drought-resistant, it will perform better with regular watering. Plant in partial shade and in loamy soil.
Podocarpus henkelii grows at a moderately slow rate of about a foot a year to 20 to 30 feet high with a spread of about 8 to 15 feet. The plant will stay quite uniform with little staking or pruning, just occasional shaping.
During the summer, excessively hot sun can burn the foliage; however, in time, burnt tips can be replaced by new growth.
The Podocarpus henkelii is increasingly grown in local gardens. It is easy to cultivate, tough once established and incredibly long-lived. It might be just the next plant for your garden.
For information, call 909-798-9384.
Source: Joyce Dean, a member of the Garden and Floral Arrangers Guild
