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Products > Podocarpus henkelii
 
Podocarpus henkelii - Long Leafed Yellow-wood

Note: This plant is no longer in stock. This is an archive page preserved for informational use.  

 
Habit and Cultural Information
Category: Tree
Family: Podocarpaceae (Podocarps)
Origin: South Africa (Africa)
Evergreen: Yes
Flower Color: Insignificant
Bloomtime: Not Significant
Height: 25-40 feet
Width: 15-25 feet
Exposure: Sun or Shade
Irrigation (H2O Info): Medium Water Needs
Winter Hardiness: 15-20° F
May be Poisonous  (More Info): Yes
Podocarpus henkelii (Long Leafed Yellowwood) - An evergreen conifer with 5 to 7 inch long blue-green leaves that droop from sweeping branches. It grows to 25 to 35 feet tall by 15 to 25 feet wide. The foliage is distinctive, a dense, heavy, shiny, dark green, conspicuously drooping.

Plant in sun or part shade with regular watering. It is moderately drought-resistant and frost hardy but grows best on moist sites in sandy or loamy soil. It can tolerate less favorable sites, but then grows very slowly and can perform poorly in heavy clay soils. It is a very neat and decorative tree suitable for both home gardens and large landscapes where it can be an excellent specimen tree for lawns or even as a street planting and can also be used in hedges and formal gardens, as it can be pruned to the desired shape. While the arils of the fruit of most species of Podocarpus are edible, raw or cooked into jams or pies, other parts of the fruits are slightly toxic and should be eaten only in small amounts or avoided, especially when raw. In addition the stems, leaves, flowers, and pollen all contain this toxin and for this reason some sources list Podocarpus in general (and Podocarpus macrophyllus specifically) as being toxic to dogs. We have not found our dogs interested in eating this plant but list this here to caution others not to let their dogs eat it.

Podocarpus henkelii is found growing from the Eastern Cape to KwaZulu-Natal and is most abundant in moist inland forest. The name for the genus is derived from Greek words 'podo' meaning "foot" or "footed" and 'karpos' which means "fruit" in reference to the fleshy stalk or receptacle that holds the seed. This is lacking on some plants previously included in this genus and these plants have been transferred to the new genus Afrocarpus. The specific epithet was named after Dr J.S. Henkel, formerly of the S.A. Forestry Department. 

Information displayed on this page about Podocarpus henkelii is based on our research conducted about this plant in our nursery library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include our own observations made about it as it has grown in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.

 
San Marcos Growers closed for regular business at the end of 2025 as the property is being developed for affordable housing.
While our gates remain closed, we will open them by appointment so we can liquidate remaining plants, supplies and equipment. The plants remaining in the field are listed on our Live Inventory Page.
 
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