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Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Prostrata'
Prostrate Japanese plumyew
| If your garden's shade and humid heat rule out many ornamental evergreens -- including the Common Yews -- take heart. Their equally handsome cousins, the Plum Yews, include species that thrive in these conditions. All tolerate a wide range of soils, and need little maintenance. Deer can strip a Common Yew in one feeding, but htey leave Plum Yews alone. Slow-growing, they make fine specimens, screens or hedges, good for limited space, and respond well to pruning. Male and female plants bear distinct flowers. Females produce fleshy fruits like small green or brown plums. Fruits and foliage are generally poisonous if eaten, but not dangerous to handle. Cephalotaxus harringtonia (Japanese Plum Yew) has nearly black, sharp, slender needles. With good shelter, its frost-resistant varieties Koreana and Nana grow as far north as Boston and Scandinavia. Fastigiata's short, tightly whorled needles create interesting texture. Cephalotaxus fortunei (Fortune's Plum Yew) grows closest to tree size. Both species offer many cultivars. Can take full sun only in mild, wet coastal settings. Elsewhere, must have shade or the leaves grow shorter and a sickly yellow-green. Adapts to many soils but prefers well-drained, moist, sandy, acid to natural soil. Apply rooting promoters to end shoot cuttings, keep very moist, and be patient. They root as slowly as the plants grow. Do not try cuttings from side branches, they develop a poor shape. |
This low, widespreading evergreen is very heat tolerant. It is slower growing than junipers, but in time a more desirable shrub that will not get out of hand.
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Attributes - Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Prostrata'
Plant Type: Shrub
Foliage: Evergreen
Height: 2 ft. to 3 ft.
Width: 3 ft.
Sunlight: Full Sun, Partial Sun
Climate: Zones 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Notes: Thrives in Hot Climates. Susceptible to Spider Mites.
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