Get It - Dec 2012

Get local
Branch out this
Christmas
Local nursery owner Yvonne Tabrett
suggests South Africans select an
alternative to the traditional plastic
Christmas tree.
The Henkel’s Yellowwood (Podocarpus
henkelii) she says, is a fantastic indigenous
option that will last for many years when
placed in a large pot.
The is a South African species of conifer
in the Podocarpaceae family and is grown
in gardens for its strikingly neat, attractive
form and its elegant, drooping foliage.
An attractive ornamental tree, it has a
straight, well-formed trunk and naturally
assumes a pyramid-shape as it grows,
eventually becoming very tall if planted in
the ground (30m) - a perfect substitute for
the green plastic Christmas tree.
‘It’s a fantastic plant as it does well in a
large pot, does not drop its leaves, so it
won’t mess in the house, and can be used
every year as it has a long life span,’ says
Tabrett of the Garden Cove Nursery in
Empangeni.
‘The leaves and shape of the branches
lend themselves to holding ornaments
well,’ she said.
It can also be pruned if necessary to
change its shape.
This tree was named after Caesar Carl
Hans Henkel (1839-1913), the Eastern
Cape forester and father of John Spurgeon
Henkel, Conservator of Forests for Natal
and Zululand.
Podocarpus henkelii is easy to cultivate
and tough once established.
It can be propagated from seed, which
should be planted promptly in a moist,
semi-shade position.
The fleshy fruit that surrounds the
seed must be removed as this inhibits
germination.
Like all Yellowwoods, it is dioecious, with
separate male and female trees.
As conifers they produce cones,
although its their fruit-like seeds that are
most prominent.
In South Africa it is found in the Kwazulu-
Natal and Eastern Cape provinces.
It is a protected tree in South Africa.
Although it is the real Yellowwood tree
that is officially South Africa’s national
tree, the Yellowwoods as a group -
including Henkel’s Yellowwood - are felt to
hold that position in practise.
All the more reason to raise and protect
one as your annual Christmas tree.