Podocarpus Macrophyllus, Japanese Yew

By: Joey Messina

Japanese yew (Podocarpus Macrophyllus) courtesy of Dr. Nick Kurzenko

Japanese yew (Podocarpus macrophyllus) is an evergreen shrub that is widely used in Texas and many other southern landscapes. The Japanese yew is not a true member of the Taxus family but the needle - leaves are similar to the Taxus genus (Grant). The Japanese Yew has been cultivated to not be poisonous. There are many different common names people refer to them as including: buddist pine, fern pine, Chinese yew, Southern yew, and yew pine. (NC State, Podocarpus Macrophyllus).

The original Japanese yew evolved some say up to fifty thousand years ago in Japan and Eastern Asia. The Japanese and Chinese culture used the wood of this shrub to make weapons and furniture and to this day, they still do. However, the yew plum pine which has been cultivated to resist drought and heat is used mainly in modern landscapes and are used as small shaped trees, hedges, and small shrubs that can be shaped and trained into any figure of your choice. The Japanese yew is in the Podocarpaceae family and is native in Eastern Asia and Japan but is seen frequently in landscapes all over the United States in different varieties (Britannica, 1998).

Japanese yew leaves courtesy of David Stang

An interesting biological feature this shrub has is that by looking at it from far away you would think it is a Taxus; however, when you get a closer look the leaves are denser and have more of a dark green color to them. The leaves on this shrub have a linear shape with a simple arrangement, and the leaves have a glossy and waxy feel to them. On average, the leaves range from anywhere between one to three inches long and don’t get over an inch wide. The stems on this shrub start out as green and fragile, but as they grow over time, they turn into wood stems.

This shrub can be propagated by seed by taking a trimming of a wood stem and simply placing it in dry soil. These shrubs grow well in full sunlight to partial shade and in well-drained soil. These shrubs can reach between 20 to 40 feet with a width ranging from 10 to 20 feet (Missouri Botanical Garden). Although the Japanese yew is a non-flowering plant, the male species produce pollen cones and the female species produces seed cones. Each seed cone usually only has one single seed that appears to be a reddish-purple color that is surrounded by a gel-like flesh. These seeds look similar to berries and when ingested by a human or pet it can cause vomiting and nausea (Grant). The leaves on this shrub share the same effect of ingestion as the seeds. In some cultures, it is common to make jam out of the flesh of the seed, which is not the poisonous part of the seed.

Japanese yew is seen quite often in modern landscapes for use in small spaces such as walkways and sidewalks. This shrub grows best in hardiness zones 7–9 and has a quite neat feature to be tolerant to salt spray (Missouri Botanical Garden). This makes this plant able to grow well near the southern coasts. These pines do not survive colder weather so when it becomes colder out they need to be placed in a container and brought indoors. The Japanese yew has a captivating feature that when new growth on the plant arrives the young leaves are a brighter green color and contrast well with the older growth that is dark green. This shrub holds relatively well value in the landscape market because of its contrasting colors and as well as its low maintenance quality. This plant is commonly used in landscapes because it is easy to form and will configure that shape. This shrub may be useful horticulturally because of its resistance to drought and salt air. 

Japanese yew used in landscape courtesy of Robert Perry

Grant, B. L. (n.d.). Podocarpus Plant Care:. Retrieved September 13, 2020, from https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/podocarpus/podocarpus-yew-pine-plants.htm

Missouri Botanical Garden. (n.d.). Podocarpus Macrophyllus. Retrieved September 13, 2020, from http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=285416

NC State. (n.d). Podocarpus Macrophyllus. Retrieved September 13, 2020 from https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/podocarpus-macrophyllus/

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (1998, July 20). Japanese yew. Retrieved September 13, 2020, from https://www.britannica.com/plant/Japanese-yew