Australian National Botanic Gardens

Phyllocladus aspleniifolius

Celery-topped Pine

Family Podocarpaceae

Botanical name. Phyllocladus is from the Greek phyllon, leaf, and klados, branch, referring to the leaf-like branchlets. The species name aspleniifolius is Latin for leaves like Asplenium species, the spleenworts or necklace ferns.

Habitat. These trees usually occur in cool temperate rainforests.

Features. These trees grow up to 18 m, the maximum age for an individual is 900 years and they grow fairly slowly (1­2 mm in diameter per year). The male and female cones may be on the same tree (monoecious) or on different trees (dioecious). These trees reproduce mainly by seed and occasionally vegetatively. The seeds have fleshy pink attachments (bracts) that are attractive to birds which help disperse the seeds.

European use. The timber is a golden colour after ageing and is used for furniture, cupboards and wall panelling. When these trees are grown commercially from cuttings, some of the soil in the cutting mix needs to be from a Celery-topped Pine stand. This is because the roots need certain types of mycorrhizal fungi to help absorb nutrients from the soil.