Kampala Tree and Palm Directory

Tree Species
Common Name
Tree Description
Tree Uses

English: Yew plum pine, Buddhist pine, Fern pine, Chinese Yew.

+ Tree Species

Podocarpus macrophyllus

+ Tree Family

Podocarpaceae

+ Ecology

Podocarpus macrophyllus is native to mountainous areas of China and Japan.It occurs in forests, open thickets, and roadsides from near sea level to 1000 m.I n Kampala, Yew plum pine can be found within Makerere university, Uganda Golf course club, along Archer road, Buganda road among other places.

+ Description

It is a small to medium size evergreen tree reaching 20 m tall with a narrow, conical crown.

BARK: grayish red brown, exfoliating in shaggy, long flakes, grow mostly upright and will not droop; not particularly showy; should be grown with a single leader; no thorns.

LEAVES: Evergreen shrub or tree; leaves alternate, simple, narrowly strap-like, 6–12 cm long and about 1 cm broad, dark green with lighter midrib.

FLOWERS: inconspicuous and not showy; yellow / golden flowers.

FRUIT: irregular; oval; round, 5 to 1 inch, fleshy, purple. The cones are borne on a short stem, and have 2-4 scales, usually only one (sometimes two) fertile, each fertile scale bearing a single apical seed 10–15 mm. When mature, the scales swell up and become reddish purple, fleshy and berry like, 10–20 mm long.

+ Uses

Medicine: the bark, fruit. http://temperate.theferns.info/plant/Podocarpus+macrophyllus

An ornamental plant

Agroforestry:  can be used as a hedge, and can be grown in a pot as a house plant

The wood is used in making furniture, utensils, paper, and farm implements.

+ Propagation

Seeds, cuttings.

+ Management

This is a slow growing conifer that features leathery, soft-textured, shiny dark green, yew-like needles) arranged in dense spirals. Podocarpus will grow more slowly and have a looser appearance when grown in shade. It needs little pruning to develop a strong structure.

+ Remarks

This is one of a few trees which can be pruned into a nice hedge. It looks better when pruned with a hand pruner, not sheared with a hedge trimmer. The dark green foliage and dense growth creates a formal mass.



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