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Podocarpus totara
Tōtara is a large, slow-growing conifer native to New Zealand, prized for its very rot-resistant wood and remarkable longevity. Grow it in fertile, well-drained soil in a spacious site, as it becomes a large tree.
Podocarpus totara (), the tōtara, is a species of coniferous tree in the family Podocarpaceae, endemic to New Zealand. Found across New Zealand, the tree can grow up to a height of 35 m (115 ft), and is known for its longevity.
The wood of tōtara is rot-resistant, and prized in Māori culture, and was often used as a material to create large-scale waka.
Tōtara grows easily from fresh seed and cuttings. It has been planted in the United Kingdom as far north as Inverewe, Scotland.
Several cultivars for garden use have been introduced. These include 'Albany Gold' and 'Aurea', both have yellow 'gold' foliage that darkens in winter; 'Pendula', which has a weeping growth habit that is especially pronounced in young plants; 'Silver Falls', also pendulous but with cream-edged foliage; and 'Matapouri Blue', which has a conical form and glaucous foliage.
Podocarpus totara is found in both the North Island and the South Island, growing in both lowland, montane and lower subalpine habitats, at elevations of up to 600 metres (2,000 feet) It is rarely found on Stewart Island / Rakiura. Tōtara is commonly found in lowland areas where the soil is fertile and well drained.
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 · Chilean podocarp
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Podocarpus totara 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.
