Description
Podocarpus totara ‘Aurea’ shares a similar growth habit with Podocarpus totara but is distinguished by its more graceful branching and softer foliage. In spring, its leaves emerge a vibrant yellow-green, turning bright yellow through summer, and deepening to a rich golden-yellow during winter, providing year-round seasonal interest.
Like its parent species, ‘Aurea’ is extremely tough, tolerating dry and windy conditions with ease. It can be trimmed readily, making it an excellent choice for hedging, screening, or as a striking street tree. In mid-spring to early summer, it produces yellow-green catkins that are a valuable source of pollen for bees.
Podocarpus totara ‘Aurea’ is a hybrid between Podocarpus totara and Podocarpus acutifolius, and is evergreen and native to New Zealand. It was likely first cultivated by James Yates, who discovered a distinctive seedling growing naturally in the bush near his farm at Wharepūhunga in the Waikato district during the early 1900s. By 1937, after the seedling had matured into a striking tree, Yates wrote to Wellington about his discovery. In 1938, two horticulturists from Massey University visited the tree, subsequently taking cuttings for propagation, ensuring the wider cultivation of this unique and beautiful cultivar.
EverGreen
Height 6m
Width 4m
Estimate after 10 years
