Virginia Tech Dendrology

fern pine Podocarpaceae Afrocarpus gracilior (Pilg.) C.N.Page symbol:
Leaf: Alternate or subopposite, simple, evergreen, narrow lanceolate, 2 to 4 inches long, pointed, glossy green to gray-green above, paler below.
Flower: Species is dioecious; not showy, males are pale yellow, erect, slender cones 1 inch long; females are very inconspicuous, occur solitary from leaf axils.
Fruit: Round, fleshy aril, 1/2 to 1 inch long, red when ripe.
Twig: Slender, green, tips drooping (willow-like); buds small, pointed and green.
Bark: Finely scaly, reddish brown but ages to a light gray.
Form: A small tree reaching 40 feet tall and when left unpruned gracefully drooping to the ground. It takes well to pruning and can be shaped into an upright tree with an oval crown.
Looks like: shrubby yew - umbrella pine

Additional Range Information: Afrocarpus gracilior is planted in the USDA hardiness zones shown above and is not known to widely escape cultivaton. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: - Horticulture Information
All material 2021 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information