Tree of the week

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Good morning. It has been an eventful week on the blog -- passionate arguments about affordability, bailouts and the media’s coverage of the housing bubble. Now a brief time-out from drama, for Pieter Severynen’s ‘Tree of the week.’

The Fern Pine – Podocarpus gracilior

‘Always clean and neat, all podocarps are beautiful evergreen conifers. We use them as screens, street and shade trees, but in their native habitats, they are prized for their beautiful timber, especially the South African yellowwoods. They come from a very cosmopolitan background: Central and South America, Asia, Australasia and Africa. Several species are available here.

‘The fern pine is about as clean-looking, attractive and pest-free a tree as they come. The method of propagation of this eastern African tree determines its growth habit. Sown from seed, the plant grows upright from early age on. Somewhat sparsely foliated initially, the branches eventually become more closely covered with 1-2” long, ¼” wide grayish green to bluish green elliptical leaves that feel soft to the touch. These trees are usually sold as Podocarpus gracilior. If on the other hand, the trees are grown from cuttings or grafts, then the plants want to grow into a more willowy, drooping shape. These plants are typically sold as Podocarpus elongatus, although it is the same species. With proper staking, both end up looking the same. Because of the color variation in the leaf, it is worth your while selecting the exact shade of green you want in the nursery.

‘As a freestanding tree, the fern pine expands at a moderate rate until it reaches 60’ tall and wide; usually it is kept smaller. It is dense and finely textured. Flaking gray platelets clothe the trunk. Given a nearby male, the female tree will bear small fleshy fruits. The tree will stand drought, a variety of soil types and exposures. People who plant the tree at 2’ on center as a quick growing screen find out that it just doesn’t know when to stop growing once the hedge has reached the desired height. Several trimmings a year are needed to keep it under control; a hedge of fast growing shrubs usually makes more sense.’

Thanks, Pieter. E-mail Pieter: plseve@earthlink.net
Photo Credit: A fern pine on Venice Blvd. in Mar Vista, by L.A. Land.