Podocarpus latifolius aka Broad Leaved Yellowwood

Podocarpus latifolius, or broad-leaved yellowwood, is an evergreen tree from South Africa. It belongs to the Podocarpaceae family. Some accounts merge it with Podocarpus milanjianus from tropical Africa. Useful Tropical Plants treats the two as separate species. It grows in forests from the coast into the mountains. On exposed coastal sites and dry slopes, it stays much smaller. The source reports a Least Concern assessment from 2013. Past logging reduced its numbers, but many populations are recovering.

This slow-growing tree has a dense crown with a cone-like shape. Its leaves are bright green and glossy. The listed height is about 82 feet [25 metres]. Large forest trees can reach 115 feet [35 metres]. At high elevations, plants may stay near 7 feet [2 metres]. The trunk is often straight and round, with buttresses at its base. It can reach about 5 feet [1.5 metres] across. Rare trunks reach almost 10 feet [3 metres] across. Forest trees may have long sections of bare trunk below the crown.

Wind carries the pollen, and the species is not self-fertile. The fleshy receptacle changes colour as it ripens. It starts green, then turns pink, reddish purple, or dark purple. Local people eat this fleshy part raw. The source records no known hazards. That does not establish that every plant part is safe to eat. The evidence gives no flowering season or detailed account of the cones.

Grow this tree in deep, fertile soil that drains well. It prefers moist ground and benefits from a layer of organic mulch. It grows in full sun and also tolerates some shade. Drought can harm it, so dry sites do not suit its needs. Older trees can withstand light frost. Frost may damage or kill young plants. Its glossy leaves and cone-like crown give it value as an ornamental. People also plant it beside roads and harvest its timber.

Fresh seed offers one way to raise new trees. Clean it and sow within four days in compost mixed with washed sand. Germination takes one to two months. Keep seedlings well watered, and protect the taproot when moving them. Published guidance often favours shade for seedlings. Yet one South African trial found better growth without shade.