The Wilson Arboretum and Botanical Garden , located at the Wilson Agricultural Center at 1806 South Goldsboro Street, has a lot of interesting evergreens and even some plants in bloom, even during the winter months. The plants in the garden will surely stimulate ideas for your home landscape.

This month the plant that caught my attention is Podocarpus macrophyllus 'Maki', better known as Shrubby or Chinese Podocarpus.

Podocarpus has similar needle-like evergreen leaves like yew shrubs but much longer, up to 2 ½ Inches long. The needles are lustrous dark green throughout all seasons. Needles are arranged spirally on the stem giving a bottle bush effect. It can grow to 20-35 feet in height although I have rarely seen one that tall and half in spread. It is a slow grower so that explains why mature plants are rarely seen.

Podocarpus is a Zone 8-10 plant so an extremely cold winter could kill it in our climate. I have seen this shrub grow in containers and overwinter well. The habit of the plant is an upright oval to columnar and quite stiff.

Flowers are non-ornamental and fruits are a red to red-purple fleshy seed. I have never seen fruit that I remember but they are non-poisonous and can be made into preserves.

Podocarpus transplants readily from containers and prefers well-drained fertile soils. It hates wet feet (or roots). Does well in full sun or moderate shade and displays excellent heat tolerance. Can even be used at the beach since it is tolerant of salt spray. Although I have not seen any pest problems root rot can be problematic if not located properly and scale insects have been reported. It is considered deer resistant.

Podocarpus makes an excellent hedge, screen, or small specimen tree. In our area it grows more shrubby than tree like.

Many cultivars are available. 'Brodie' is a common one with a compact spreading growth habit, three feet high by six feet wide. 'Variegatus' has cream-white variegation to the foliage.

Propagation requires 2 years for seed to germinate. Hardwood cutting root readily in late summer and fall.

There is a collection of Podocarpus at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens and this display will help determine if there are any Podocarpus more cold tolerant for our area. Although I love this plant I can not recommend extensive plantings of hedges, etc. since it is not reliably cold tolerant. I do think it makes a wonderful container plant or accent plant in the garden.

Take a walk through the Wilson Display Garden this month, not only to catch the evergreens but the white Flowering quince is getting ready to bloom.

Just a reminder that the Garden Lunch Club is a free event the first Wednesday of each month to learn about gardening during your lunch hour.  The January 7th program is "Wild Birds, How to Attract and Feed."  The speaker will be Mr. Jackie Whitley.  The Garden Lunch Club is open to anyone who would like to come, 12:15 PM, at the Wilson County Ag. Center, Conference Room 1, 1806 S. Goldsboro Street.  Bring a bag lunch.

Date Created: 12/30/03.