Totara
Podocarpus totara

Family: Podocarpaceae

What it is like

Podocarpus totara is an evergreen Tree growing to 30 m (98ft 5in) at a slow rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 9. 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): 30

Where it is found

Lowland, montane and sub-alpine forest on North, South and Stewart Islands.

New Zealand.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 3

Fruit - raw or cooked. Sweet and juicy but there is a hint of turpentine in its flavour, especially if it is not fully ripe. The fruit is about 6mm in diameter.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating:

Wood - straight grained, reddish, very durable lasting a long time in water, but it can be brittle. Used for construction work and cabinet making.

Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.

How it is grown

Prefers a rich moist non-alkaline soil. This species is only hardy in the milder areas of Britain. Plants have succeeded in Suffolk and Argyll as well as in southern and western Britain but it is only in Cornwall and Ireland that plants achieve the stature of trees. A tree at Trebah gardens in Cornwall was 16 metres tall in 1959. Plants are fairly slow growing with an average increase in height around 20cm a year in Cornwall. Cultivated as a timber tree in New Zealand. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

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 Canopy;

Habit: Tree

Hardiness: 8-11

Growth: Slow

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.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

P. hallii.