A Southern Conifer

This recent bought endless heat and humidity makes me dream of cooler climes. And nothing says crisp air better than conifers in the landscape. While it may be impossible to grow Douglas fir and spruce here in Georgia, there are a few conifers I'd recommend. Yet for sake of brevity, I'll focus this article on my favorite.

By far my favorite southern conifer is the Cephalotaxus, or plum yew. This plant can exist as a groundcover, shrub, or small tree. And unlike most conifers, it tolerates and even thrives in some shade. For this reason, and because it has exceptional heat tolerance and is completely untouched by deer, plum yews should be in every southern yard.

The common name plum yew refers to the fleshy sweet fruit it produces in autumn. Though botanists call this a "fleshy cone" it is more reminiscent of a stone fruit, like a plum or cherry. Though this resemblance is purely coincidental and a case of convergent evolution, which refers to lifeforms arriving at similar features despite not being closely related. Cephalotaxus is a gymnosperm, or true conifer, and not remotely related to flowering plants like plums. It should be noted that they are also dioecious... so having both male and female specimens will be essential for fruit/ seed production.

Plum yews, being native to lush forests of southeast Asia, evoke a prehistoric, almost "tropical" effect when grown in the landscape. They combine well with hardy palms and Camellias. Our North American analog is the rare Florida Torreya. Torreya can be distinguished by its stiff and sharp needles, while plum yews have soft easy-to-handle needles. The fruit, also drupe-like, is firmer and resembles an unripe olive. One of the common names is in fact"nutmeg yew". I grow both species in my yard, and I much prefer the Asian Cephalotaxus because of the soft needles.

Growing Cephalotaxus is easy, yet finding it can be difficult. I most often encounter either the formal-looking Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Fastigiata', which is a columnar form with dense, shorter more upright needles. This is a good choice for a tight spot where some height is needed. 'Korean Gold' offers a lemony yellow hue. 'Prostrata' is a low-growing less formal option. This clone is often seen as an alternative to juniper as a groundcover in shady areas. There are great masses at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Georgia.

But I much prefer Cephalotaxus fortunei and C. sinensis, or Chinese plum yew, with their longer horizontal needles and branches. This can exist as both a small tree or a bushy groundcover. It is perfectly happy under our giant pecan and has slowly achieved a height of 5 ft. and a "Christmas tree" form.