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ConifersShrubs

Podocarpus 'Guardsman'

podocarp 'Guardsman'

A shrubby conifer to about 2m with short, yew-like needles that are bright, rusty-red in spring, dark green in summer and rusty-bronze in winter. Insignificant greenish flowers may be followed by fleshy, yew-like fruit

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Ultimate height

1.5–2.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

10–20 years

Ultimate spread

0.5–1 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

North–facing or South–facing or East–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Podocarpaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Bushy
Genus: Podocarpus can be evergreen shrubs or trees, with spirally arranged, but usually 2-ranked, leaves which may be linear or narrowly lanceolate; plum-shaped fleshy fruits are produced only where male and female trees grow together
Name status: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in fertile, moist but well-drained soil, sheltered from cold, drying winds

Propagation

Propagate by semi-hardwood cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Low Maintenance
Hedging and screens

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free

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