Podocarpus henkelii is a very hardy, large, evergreen, decorative, beautifully shaped tree and one of our best-known indigenous trees.
It has long, drooping, narrow, dark green leaves. The bark can be from yellowish-grey to dark brown, and it mature trees becomes deeply grooved and peels off in long, narrow strips, revealing red-brown "new" bark underneath.
Female and male cones develop on separate plants. The female cones (September to January) develop into an olive green seed that ripens in May.
Plant in either east or south facing areas as it prefers damp, cool and shady conditions. If planted in the middle of lawn remove at least 1.5m diameter of lawn around the tree, as its roots cannot compete with lawn and it will not grow properly. Always mulch the soil around the tree to keep the roots cool.
Although it is quite slow growing it does develop into a huge forest tree and is therefore only suitable for large gardens. For small gardens, plant it in a container to limit its size. In a container it makes a great Christmas tree when decked out in its finery.
Size 20 to 30m