PUSHING THE BORDERS

I have come across this tree twice, recently.
Once at Trengwainton Garden, Cornwall, but the sun was totally in the wrong place to get pics.
Second time at Tremenheere Garden, Cornwall, where I got these pics.





Male catkin


TIA
Fof

The 'catkins' look right for Podocarpus macrophyllus but the foliage looks right for Podocarpus henkelii, but then my P. henkelii isn't mature enough to flower yet so I'm not on very solid ground???

Thanks Andy, but I don't think its P. macrophyllus.
The best I could come up with was P. matudae, but what I know about Podocarpus could be written on the head of a pin.
Hence my reaching out to those who know a damn sight more than me.

I'm only confident to genus and agree with Podocarpus.

It could be any of them at Tremenheere, but Trengwaiton has a less catholic catalogue.

On the grounds that 'common things occur commonly' [a medical aphorism], I would, from my ignorance of the genus, suggest Podocarpus salignus.

Chad

Hmm. Thanks, guys.Interesting choices.
I think an email to Cat Saunders, the head gardener at Trengwainton Garden, is in order. Unles Neil at Tremenheere pops in.
Fof

Like Andy, looks very much like the foliage on my henkelii but not saying it is as I'm no good at spotting subtle foliage differences. It's such an exotic and lush looking conifer. Mine is in a pot and can be a bit tender so I've not yet been brave enough to plant it out.

Its Podocarpus henkelii -possibly more interesting -not yet in leaf beyond the Podocarp is Tilia oliveri -very elegant
Along the entrance bridge is P salignus .Many years ago Chris Page donated a group of 12 P. salignus from wild collected seed in Chile where it is extremely rare in the wild .A great mystery seemed to have been solved last weekend
Some of the salignus were quite different with broader growth habit and short rather more pointed leaves as they do not hybridise in the wild with P nubigenus I was a bit flummoxed.
Owen Johnson suggested these odd trees were hybrids with P totara which must be of local garden origin .
Anyhow further along the woodland there are P elongatus,falcatus , matudae,macrophyllus ,oleifolius ,P.sp from Madagascar all quite happy
Tregrehan holds the reference collection of these beautiful trees where the salignus self seed freely

Thanks, guys, especially Neil
Much appreciate the feedback.
I'm glad I visited as I found some very interesting plants.
Not the easiest garden to get around if you suffer from COPD, but well worth it.
I'll be back!!

Fof

Henkelii is not the easiest plant to get hold of but if you are interested Fof I got mine from Trevena Cross. It wasn't on their website but they had it in stock and for such a rare plant it was surprisingly cheap, probably because few have heard of it or want it (they are missing out) or possibly because this nursery doesn't rip people off with less common plants. Might be worth a call or email??

I wonder how easily it roots from cuttings as I would dearly love to "set my plant free" and plant it out but I'm scared of losing it. Our winters are nothing like those in Cornwall. If I had a back up plant it might be worth the risk. Anyone any experience of these large leaf Podocarpus from cuttings?

By reputation, not personal experience, they are 'easy' from mature softwood cuttings [July], and 'straightforward' from hardwood cuttings in winter.

Obviously all the offspring will be the same gender as the parent.

Chad