PODOCARPUS MACROPHYLLUS Podocarpaceae BUDDHIST PINE Benefits, Care & Propagation

If this slow-growing plant is to live successfully indoors, it must be kept in an unheated room; since it will tolerate a drafty situation, it is ideal for a cool hall or passageway. The upright stems bear narrow, straplike, glossy 3-in/8-cm- long leaves, but the catkin-like flowers are not produced indoors.
The plant is also known as Japanese yew or Kusamaki; indeed, the variety most frequently seen as a houseplant is ‘Maki’’ whose growth is compact and whose leaves are only V2in/13mm long.

FACT FILE PODOCARPUS MACROPHYLLUS Podocarpaceae BUDDHIST  PINE

ORIGIN: Japan.
HEIGHT: 6ft/1.8m in a container.
POTTING MIX: Soil- or peat-moss-based.
REPOTTING: In spring, when roots have filled the current container.
PROPAGATION: In late spring or summer, take stem cuttings or sow seeds (the latter is the more difficult of the two methods).
KEEPING PLANTS: The plant’s slow-growing habit means that it requires little attention, but it can be kept compact by regular pruning.

PLANT CARE PODOCARPUS MACROPHYLLUS Podocarpaceae BUDDHIST  PINE

• Bright light to partial shade.
• Cool to normal indoor conditions, with a winter minimum of 40°F/4°C.
• Keep the soil moist at all times; water sparingly in winter.

• Mist the plant regularly during hot weather.
• Feed once a month from spring to fall with a standard liquid fertilizer.