Japanese Plum Yew
Cephalotaxus harringtonia nana

Family: Cephalotaxaceae

What it is like

Cephalotaxus harringtonia nana is an evergreen Shrub growing to 2 m (6ft) by 3 m (9ft) at a slow rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 7 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from April to May, and the seeds ripen from October to November. 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. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) or semi-shade (light woodland). It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 2

Where it is found

An understorey shrub in woodlands. In deciduous forests from near sea level to elevations of 600 metres.

E. Asia - N. Japan.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Japan,

How it is used

Food

Rating: 5

Fruit. - raw or cooked. Plum-like and very sweet with a hint of pine in its flavour. The fruit is about 2cm long. This sub-species is said to produce the best fruit. The fruit does not always ripen in Britain, before full ripeness it has a disgusting resinous flavour that coats the mouth and refuses to go away for hours. Seed - raw or cooked. Oily. The seed has a firm texture with a slightly resinous flavour.

Oil: Oil

Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating: 3

An oil obtained from the seed is used as an illuminant.

Oil: Vegetable oils have many uses, as lubricants, lighting, soap and paint making, waterproofing etc. This does not include the edible oils unless they are also mentioned as having other uses.

How it is grown

Prefers a moist well-drained sandy soil but succeeds in most soils though it dislikes dry gravelly or chalky soils. Prefers a position in semi-shade but tolerates full shade and it also succeeds but does not usually thrive in full sun. It grows very well in the mild wet coastal region of W. Scotland where it succeeds even in full sun. Requires a humid sheltered site, strongly disliking very exposed positions. The dwarf Japanese plum yew is a very slow growing plant with an excellent potential as a food crop in Britain. The fruit and the seed are often eaten in Japan. In addition, the seeds seem to be immune to the predations of squirrels, the seed on trees growing at Kew Botanical gardens being untouched even though virtually every other nut tree there has its crop destroyed. This sub-species is a small spreading shrub to 2 metres, spreading by means of suckers. It is said to have the best fruit of this genus, It is also a very frost-resistant plant, succeeding as far north as S. Sweden and Nova Scotia. Plants are dioecious, but female plants sometimes produce fruits and infertile seeds in the absence of any male plants. However, at least one male plant for every five females should be grown if you are growing the plants for fruit and seed. Plants have also been known to change sex. Male cones are produced in the axils of the previous year's leaves, whilst female cones are borne at the base of branchlets.

Propagating it: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame, it should then germinate in the following spring. A hard seedcoat can delay germination, especially in if the seed is not sown as soon as it is ripe. Stored seed should be cold-stratified and sown in a cold frame in the spring. Germination can take 18 months or more. Prick out the seedlings as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow them on for at least their first winter under cover. Plant out in late spring after the last expected frosts. Greenwood cuttings of terminal shoots, August/September in a humid cold frame. Difficult. Division of self-layered stems and suckers in early autumn or mid-spring.

Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; not Deep Shade;

Habit: Shrub

Hardiness: 6-9

Growth: Slow

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Full shade, semi-shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

C. nana. Nak.