Native Trees

Brown pine — Podocarpus elatus

Podocarpus elatus

Food for native birds Shelter for wildlife Resilient garden plant

$7.00

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In stock and available to order

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Plant profile

At a glance

The essentials for finding the right garden position.

Mature size: Height: 10–20 m · Width: 5–10 m
Light: Full sun, Part shade
Water: Moist
Soil: Sandy, Loamy, Clay
Drainage: Well-drained • Moderately drained
Vegetation type: Rainforest, Coastal
Plant lifespan: Long-lived perennial
Plant form: Trees

Plant ratings

A quick guide to this plant’s value for wildlife and the garden.

Bird food value
Pollinator value
Shelter & habitat value
Flower display
Garden resilience

About this plant

A long-lived rainforest conifer with glossy dark foliage and fleshy purple-black fruiting structures. Usually more compact in cultivation than in forest, it makes a handsome specimen, screening or canopy tree for larger subtropical gardens.

Image credits:
Mature image: Ewen Cameron via Wikimedia Commons — CC BY 4.0
Feature image: Peter Woodard (Poyt448) via Wikimedia Commons — Public domain

More plant details

Garden uses: Feature tree, rainforest garden, large screen, shade tree, coastal planting and restoration.
Wildlife value: Fleshy fruiting receptacles are eaten by fruit-doves and other rainforest birds. Wind-pollinated and provides little nectar or pollen for animal pollinators. Dense evergreen foliage provides excellent refuge, perching and long-term canopy structure.
Flowering and fruiting: Male plants bear small pollen cones; female plants produce seeds on fleshy blue-purple to purple-black receptacles when a compatible pollinator is nearby.
Growth habit: Slow-growing medium to large evergreen conifer with a rounded, spreading crown; indicative garden size 10–20 m × 5–10 m.
Cautions: Male and female cones are usually borne on separate plants, so fruiting may require both sexes nearby. Allow space for a medium to large tree.