Podocarpus matudae
Podocarpus matudae
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
Based on data from 70 collection localities, Podocarpus matudae grows in a region where the mean annual temperature is 18.8°c, with an average minimum in the coldest month of 8.6°c, and a mean annual precipitation of 1520mm[1]. Precipitation is high, with annual rainfall of 1,500 - 3,000mm and frequent fog at high elevations[2]. The plant can withstand moderate frosts, tolerating occasional, short-lived temperatures falling to between -6.6°c and -1.1°c[1]. Podocarpus matudae is slow growing and can only be harvested sustainably at very long rotations, while successful regeneration requires a forest habitat with a mixture of other trees (microclimate) as well as the animal vector for its dispersal. It is therefore not suitable for plantation forestry[2]. In warm temperate to subtropical countries it would be a suitable amenity tree for streets and parks. It is occasionally seen in cultivation, mainly restricted to arboreta and other living plant collections, and in the western USA usually under its synonym Podocarpus reichei[2]. Species in this genus are generally slow-growing[2]. A dioecious species; both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required.
Propagation
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[3]. 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, mid summer in a frame[4]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Podocarpus+matudae>
Pollinators
Wind
References
- [1]The Gymnosperm Database — http://www.conifers.org/index.htm ↩︎A vast amount of information on conifers and families of gymnosperms.
- [2]IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — http://www.iucnredlist.org/ ↩︎A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
- [3]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
- [4]Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. — Sheat. W. G. · MacMillan and Co · 1948 · ISBN - ↩︎A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
- [5]Journal of the Arnold Arboretum Vol. 29 — Harvard University; Boston, Mass. · 1948 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org ↩︎A botanical journal with various articles, including a revision of the genus Podocarpus. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
- [6]Tropical Timbers of the World. Ag. Handbook No. 607. — Chudnoff. Martin. · USDA Forest Service. Wisconsin. · 1984 ↩︎Terse details on the properties of the wood of almost 400 species of trees from the Tropics.