Alpine Totara
Podocarpus nivalis
Family: Podocarpaceae
What it is like
Bloom Color: Yellow. Main Bloom Time: Early summer, Late summer, Mid summer. Form: Prostrate, Rounded, Spreading or horizontal.
Podocarpus nivalis is an evergreen Shrub growing to 3 m (9ft) by 5 m (16ft) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 7. It is in leaf all year, and the seeds ripen in October. The species is dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required). and is pollinated by Wind. The plant is not self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 3
Where it is found
Upper forest margins, sub-alpine slopes and occasionally in lowland forests of North and South Islands southwards from latitude 36° 50'
New Zealand.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
Australia, New Zealand*,
How it is used
Food
Rating: 3
Fruit - raw or cooked. Sweet and pleasant to taste. The fruit is about 7mm long.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating: 3
Plants have a sprawling habit, the branches rooting as they grow, and can be grown as a tall ground cover. They are best spaced about 1.2 metres apart.
Ground cover: Ground Cover
How it is grown
Landscape Uses:Border, Cascades, Erosion control, Foundation, Ground cover, Massing. Prefers a rich moist non-alkaline soil. Shade tolerant, at least when young. This species is hardy to about -25°c, though the plants grow best in mild winter areas with plenty of rainfall and high humidity. They often fruit freely in Britain. A very ornamental plant, it is very tolerant of trimming. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required. Special Features: Not North American native, Inconspicuous flowers or blooms.
Propagating it: The seed can be sown at any time of the year in a sandy soil in a warm greenhouse, though it is probably best sown as soon as it is ripe. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe terminal shoots, 5 - 10cm long, July/August in a frame.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Ground Cover;
Habit: Shrub
Hardiness: 7-11
Growth: Medium
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
Superficially similar to Taxus species, but this plant is definitely not poisonous.