Podocarpus lawrencei aka Mountain Plum Pine

Podocarpus lawrencei is an evergreen tree in the Podocarpaceae family. PFAF gives its height as 33 feet [10 metres]. Its leaves stay on the plant throughout the year. The supplied records disagree about its native range. PFAF lists Tasmania, southeastern New South Wales, eastern Victoria, and the Australian Capital Territory. Its cultivation notes cite an Australian flora treating it as Australian only. Yet another entry on the same site names New Zealand’s South Island. PFAF flags this conflict, so that New Zealand record needs caution.

Male and female plants grow separately in this species. Wind carries pollen between them, and one plant cannot fertilise itself. Grow both sexes if you want to raise seeds. PFAF reports that the seeds ripen in October. It describes the fruit as small, about 6 by 5 millimetres. The fruit has a mild sweetness and a thick, slippery texture. People can eat it fresh or cook it. PFAF rates its food value at two out of five. The supplied evidence gives no species-level account of its flowers or bark.

Choose moist soil that drains well for this tree. It accepts sandy soil, loam, and clay. Rich soil suits it, with a mildly acid or neutral pH. Avoid alkaline ground, which falls outside its stated preference. It grows in full sun or partial shade. A sheltered site and humid air offer its preferred conditions. PFAF lists USDA zones 6–9 and a separate UK zone of 7. The latter is not an RHS H rating. Woodland gardens, sunny edges, and dappled shade are listed planting settings.

Seeds and shoot cuttings provide two ways to raise new plants. PFAF suggests sowing ripe seed in sandy soil under warm greenhouse conditions. Seed can also be sown at other times of year. Move seedlings into separate pots once they are large enough. Keep them under glass through at least their first winter. Plant them outside in late spring or early summer, after frost risk passes. Half-ripe tip cuttings offer another route in July or August. PFAF states that the plant is not poisonous, despite its resemblance to yews. It lists no known medicinal uses and no weed potential.