Species · genus Podocarpus · Podocarpaceae
True Yellowwood
Podocarpus latifolius (Thunb.) R.Br. ex Mirb.
Also known as: Upright Yellowwood · Broad-leaved Yellowwood · East African Yellowwood · Podo · Real Yellowwood
Cultivars of P. latifolius
The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.
No named cultivars catalogued under P. latifolius yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.
Guide
The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.
A Slow, Steady Conifer
Podocarpus is a genus of evergreen conifers, grown as shrubs or trees, prized for dense foliage that makes an unfussy hedge or privacy screen. It is not a showy plant, but its easy shaping and low demands have made it a landscape workhorse.
Source: Epic Gardening
A Southern Hemisphere Family
Podocarpus belongs to Podocarpaceae, a family of nineteen conifer genera native mainly to the Southern Hemisphere, spanning Australia, New Zealand, South America, Africa, and Asia. Podocarpus itself reaches furthest north of any genus in the family, with about 100 species known by names such as Yellowwood and various pines.
Source: Epic Gardening
Undemanding, But Patient
Podocarpus tolerates anything from full sun to near-complete shade, though growth slows and leaves darken in shade while sun brings faster growth and paler foliage. It wants sandy or loamy soil that holds some moisture yet drains well, ideally rich and slightly acidic, with a first year of watering roughly every two weeks before it can largely fend for itself. Indoors it is happiest between 61 and 68°F with plenty of light, and it asks for only light spring feeding if the soil is already reasonably fertile.
Source: Epic Gardening
Cuttings Beat Seeds
Podocarpus can be grown from seed or cuttings, but cuttings are the common choice since seed germination can drag on for up to six months. A 3 to 4 inch cutting from soft new wood, dipped in rooting hormone and kept in moist but freely draining soil, typically roots in about four months. Seeds, by contrast, need a cold, moist stratification in the refrigerator before they will sprout.
Source: Epic Gardening
Yew-Like, Spiral Foliage
The foliage resembles Yew, with flat, lance-shaped leaves arranged in a spiral along the branches. Leaves feel leathery yet are soft enough to shear easily, which is why the plant takes so well to hedge trimming. Light exposure shifts the color, with shade producing deeper green and full sun lightening the tone.
Source: Epic Gardening
Aphids, Mites, and Scale
The Podocarpus aphid is the pest most associated with this plant, a small pale purple insect that can curl leaves and stunt growth in heavy numbers while its honeydew invites sooty mold. Spider mites, favoring hot dry weather, leave fine webbing on leaf undersides, and scale insects pierce leaves to feed on sap, leaving sticky residue behind that is best broken down with horticultural oil.
Source: Epic Gardening
Rot, Wilt, and Spots
Root rot in Podocarpus almost always traces back to overwatering or poor drainage, so amending soil or easing the watering schedule usually resolves it. Fusarium wilt attacks the roots and shows as yellowing, browning, and wilting, spread through water, while leaf spot and Botrytis blight are fungal issues that bring brown or yellow spotting and decayed foliage, treated by removing affected growth and improving airflow.
Source: Epic Gardening
Pruning For Shape
Left alone in its first year, Podocarpus tends to shoot straight upward, so a hard pruning at the end of that first summer encourages back budding and branching into a fuller shrub. It tolerates shaping and hard pruning well year-round, with the one caution being to avoid cutting within two months of the first expected frost in freezing climates.
Source: Epic Gardening
Care recipe
The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.
Care notes are early — not yet verified
- Light
- ai:claude-opus-4-8
- Water
- ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-14d)
- Humidity
- ai:claude-opus-4-8
- Soil
- ai:claude-fable-5
- Care
- ai:claude-fable-5
Bright, indirect
≈ every 14 days
Medium
8–24 °C
Well-draining loamy mix with grit for aeration
Semi-hardwood cuttings or fresh seed, both slow
Balanced liquid feed monthly in the growing season
Slow
Rarely flowers indoors
Not yet documented
This is where toxicity lives — every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.
Reference images
Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.
PrimarySources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-14d) · ai:claude-fable-5
Kept true by its growers
Every fact here carries its source. Grow True Yellowwood yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — and a clear photo of your plant are exactly what keep this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.
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