Podocarpus macrophyllus is a conifer in the genus Podocarpus. It is the northernmost species of the genus, native to southern Japan and southern and eastern China. Common names in English include yew plum pine, Buddhist pine, fern pine and Japanese yew.
It is a small to medium-sized evergreen tree, reaching 20 m (66 ft) tall. The leaves are strap-shaped, 6–12 cm (2.4–4.7 in) long, and about 1 cm broad, with a central midrib. The cones are borne on a short stem, and have two to four 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; they are then eaten by birds which disperse the seeds in their droppings.
P. macrophyllus occurs in forests, open thickets, and roadsides from near sea level to 1000 m above it.
Available as 1 ltr pot 40cm high.
CC3.0 main photo unchanged. Photo by Greg Hume