Japanese plum yew

Profile

Family

Cephalotaxaceae

Habit

Shrub

Height

5 m

Spread

4 m

Growth

very slow

Lifespan

150 years

First yield

after 7 years

Hardiness

zone 7–9

Shade tolerance

full shade

Soil

Sand, Silt, Loam

Soil moisture

semi-dry – very wet

pH

5 – 7

Synonyms

Taxus harringtonia, Pflaumeneibe

Flowering & harvest

Times apply to the northern hemisphere in a temperate climate and shift with altitude and cultivar.

Uses

Edible: Fruit + seeds (raw) 2t/ha correspond to about 800 kcal/m² and have a sweet pine nut flavor with a hint of pine resin.

Medicinal: The leaves contain homoharringtonine, a compound utilized in cancer treatment due to its anticancer properties.

Other uses: Seeds, oil, bulbs, wood, hedges Bulbs crafted from seed oil are highly resilient and perfect for illumination. Wood is solid, tough, and long-lasting. Hedges thrive in shade, respond well to pruning, and stay green throughout the year.

Growing

Thrives in moist, well-drained sandy soil but can adapt to various soil types, except for dry, gravelly, or calcareous soils. Prefers partial shade but can tolerate full shade and does not do well in full sun. Flourishes in mild, humid coastal regions, needing a sheltered, moist location and avoiding very exposed positions. While the dormant plant is extremely resilient, the young spring growth, even in mature plants, is sensitive to frost. It is advisable to grow the plants in a spot shielded from the morning sun. The Japanese Plum Yewen Tree is a slow-growing tree with high potential as a food crop. It typically yields abundant fruit and seeds, commonly consumed in Japan. Moreover, the seeds seem to be impervious to squirrel predation. There has been some confusion regarding the classification of this species. Some botanists have classified C. drupacea as a distinct species, although most now consider it a subspecies of this plant. In cultivation, it is often referred to as the cultivar 'Fastigiata'. Another subspecies, C. harringtonia nana, is a small, spreading shrub reaching up to 2 meters in height, spreading through runners. This variety is reputed to bear the best fruit in this genus and is highly resilient, thriving as far south as southern Sweden and Nova Scotia. The plants are dioecious, with female plants occasionally producing fruit and sterile seeds even without male plants. However, it is recommended to have at least one male plant for every five female plants when cultivating for fruit and seeds. Plants can also change gender, with male cones developing in the axils of the previous year's leaves and female cones at the base of the branch tips.

Propagation

Seeds should be planted right after they mature in a cool environment to sprout in the following spring. A tough seed coat might slow down germination, particularly if the seed isn't planted promptly. Preserved seeds need to undergo cold stratification and be planted in the spring in a cool setting. Germination may require 18 months or longer. Once seedlings reach a suitable size, transfer them and nurture them indoors for at least their initial winter. When the last frosts are over, move them outdoors in late spring. Semi-woody cuttings from the tips of shoots can be taken in August or September in a damp, cool environment, but this process is challenging.

Notable

Special features: Requires one male to fertilize five females. However, females sometimes produce fruit with infertile seeds without a male. They can also change sex. Best placed in a position protected from morning sun. There is also the Chinese plum yew (C. fortunei).

Origin & habitat

E. Asia - Japan.

An understory tree species for forests in deep, fertile, moist soil in river valleys and depressions, often found in thickets.

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