Real yellowwood
Podocarpus latifolius
South Africa's national tree, slow and stately; birds and people eat the fleshy blue-purple fruit stalks.
Hardiness: zones 9 to 11
Light: part shade
Size: about 80 ft tall, 30 ft wide
Harvest: December to February
From: Southern Africa
Here: Too tender to overwinter outdoors on the Lake Erie shore (zone 6b to 7a): grow it in a pot and bring it in, or treat it as an annual.
Good for: wildlife, food.
Native to: Cape of South Africa. Hardy in zones 9 to 11.
The story
The real yellowwood is South Africa's national tree. The floors, beams and furniture of old Cape houses were cut from it, and the surviving giants of the Knysna forest are hundreds of years old.
Planting
Sun or part shade, deep soil and regular moisture. It takes light frost.
Growing
Slow. It makes a good container tree or clipped screen when young.
Harvest and use
Female trees carry a round seed on a fleshy stalk that ripens blue-purple in summer. The stalk is edible, and birds spread the seed.
What to watch for
You need male and female trees for fruit. Dry wind browns the leaves.
See if Real yellowwood fits your yard
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More native and wild plants
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home