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Podocarpus nubigenus
Also called Cloud Podocarp, Chilean Totara
Chilean podocarp is a medium to large evergreen conifer native to the cool, wet temperate forests of southern Chile and Argentina, and it is the southernmost podocarp in the world. It is mainly grown as an ornamental tree where summers are cool and rainfall is high, such as the western British Isles and the Pacific Northwest.
Podocarpus nubigenus is a species of conifer in the family Podocarpaceae, endemic to the Valdivian temperate forests of southern Chile and adjacent southwestern Argentina. It is the southernmost podocarp in the world. It grows from 38°S to Ultima Esperanza (53°S), in wet and swampy soils. It can settle clear grounds, with a faster growth than the other Chilean Podocarpaceae.
It is a medium to large tree, growing to around 20–25 metres (66–82 feet), exceptionally to 35 m (115 ft). The bark peels off in papery flakes, with a purplish to golden brown hue. The sharp, green, needle-like leaves are stiff and leathery, 2 cm long. The cones are highly modified with two to four fused, fleshy, berry-like, juicy scales, bright red when mature, bearing one (rarely two) rounded seeds at the apex of the scales.
The wood is hard and straight grained, and very resistant to rot; it is yellow with reddish marks, semiheavy, semihard, and resistant to decay, but due to scarcity, is little used.
P. nubigenus is occasionally grown as an ornamental tree in the western British Isles and the Pacific Northwest of North America, where it receives the cool summers and high rainfall it requires for successful growth. This tree is tolerant to about −25 °C (−13 °F). It does not have any common English name; cloud podocarp' (a translation of the scientific name); male maniu (a literal translation from the most common name in Chile), Chilean podocarp, and Chilean totara have been suggested, but are little used. Mapuche Native American and Latin American Spanish names include and mañio macho or mañíu macho and huililahuán (Spanish pronunciation: [wililaˈwan]). In southern Chile, it is also known as mañío de hojas punzantes (which is translated as prickly-leaved maniu).
Podocarpus aristulatus · Arius · Brown Pine · Breede River Yellowwood · Henkel's Yellowwood · Broad-leaved Yellowwood · Podocarpus laubenfelsii · Mountain Plum Pine · Yew plum pine · Brown Pine · Alpine Totara · Podocarpus pilgeri
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Podocarpus nubigenus by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
