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Podocarpaceae FAMILY Vulnerable

Podocarpus salignus

Podocarpus salignus

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

Superficially similar to Taxus species, but this plant is definitely not poisonous[1].

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Tree
GrowthSlow

Podocarpus salignus is native to central Chile, growing in areas with year round rainfall or with a dry season of up to 5 months - here most of the 400 - 800mm of rain falls in the winter months[2]. Plants are hardy to about -25°c according to one report[1], whilst another says that its limit is between -12.1°c and -6.7°c[3].The plants grow best in humid areas with high rainfall and mild winters[1]. Plants often fruit freely in Britain and self-sow freely in Cornwall[1]. Prefers a rich moist non-alkaline soil[4]. Shade tolerant, at least when young, but growing best in full sun[1, 2]. An ornamental plant, it grows well in the rock garden[1, 2]. Very tolerant of pruning[1]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[1]. A dioecious species - both male and female forms must be grown if fruit and seed are required. The foliage is commonly used in the cut flower industry in Chile and the species is often grown in temperate countries as an ornamental tree[5] In the Mediterranean-like region it grows in the Roble-Hualo forest type (coastal Maulino forest) and often close to watercourses. Here it is associated with Nothofagus dombeyi, N. Obliqua, N. Nervosa, Peumus boldus, Persea lingue, Drimys winteri, Aextoxicon punctatum, Gevuina avellana, Myrceugenia exsucca and Laruelia sempervirens (Donoso 2006). In the same region in the Andes Cordillera it can form pure stands above 1,100 m altitude in wet areas that are not necessarily associated with watercourses: this specific habitat is known as mañihuales. It can also be found at lower elevations in the same region associated with other species in ravines on south-facing aspects. Its overall altitudinal range is from 10 to 1,200 m. In the Mediterranean-like region it often grows on soils derived from andesite but in the south of its distribution it occurs on soils derived from mica schist. It forms a dioecious tree to 20 m tall which becomes sexually mature between 10-20 years (Donoso 2006). Although most of the seed matures from February through to early April, a proportion of seed can mature and be disseminated by birds throughout the year[5]

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[6]. 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[7]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Podocarpus+salignus>

Pollinators

Wind

References

  1. [1]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  2. [2]ChileFlora — http://www.chileflora.com/index.html ↩︎Not realy a flora, but a lovely site with lots of helpful information for the gardener and an abundance of excellent photos covering over 2,000 species of Chilean plants.
  3. [3]The Gymnosperm Database — http://www.conifers.org/index.htm ↩︎A vast amount of information on conifers and families of gymnosperms.
  4. [4]A Field Guide to Australian Trees. — Holliday. I. and Hill. R. · Frederick Muller Ltd. · 1974 · ISBN 0-85179-627-3 ↩︎A well illustrated and very readable book, but it does not contain much information for the plant project.
  5. [5]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.
  6. [6]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 ]).
  7. [7]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.
  8. [8]The New Plantsman. Volume 1, 1994. — Matthews. V. · Royal Horticultural Society · 1994 · ISBN 1352-4186 ↩︎A quarterly magazine, it has articles on Himalayacalamus hookerianus, hardy Euphorbias and an excellent article on Hippophae spp.
  9. [9]Australian Native Plants Society — http://anpsa.org.au/index.html ↩︎A series of fact sheets on Australian plants. Good photographs, brief description and information on uses, habitat, range, cultivation etc.
  10. [10]Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. — Bean. W. · Murray · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
  11. [11]Dictionary of Economic Plants. — Uphof. J. C. Th. · Weinheim · 1959 · ISBN - ↩︎An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
  12. [12]A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. — Usher. G. · Constable · 1974 · ISBN 0094579202 ↩︎Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
  13. [13]Plants of New Zealand. — Laing. and Blackwell. · Whitcombe and Tombs Ltd · 1907 · ISBN - ↩︎An old flora of New Zealand in a readable style. Some details of plant uses.