Podocarpus henkelii Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Henkel's Yellowwood

Podocarpus henkelii

£29.99
Protect from hard frostSun-lovingShade-tolerantEvergreen
Pot size
17cm / 2L £29.99

FREE tracked delivery on orders over £60

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Description

Podocarpus henkelii, Henkel's yellowwood, is the conifer for people who think they dislike conifers: long, glossy, strap-like leaves hang in graceful, weeping curtains from tiered branches, reading closer to an evergreen willow or a podocarp rainforest canopy than anything with needles. Among South Africa's most beautiful trees, it is hardly ever offered here.

It hails from the high Drakensberg, so cold nights are in its blood: established plants take around -7C, which we rate H3. In the UK it makes a slow, elegant shrub or small tree of 3 to 5 m, and a superb long-term container specimen.

How and where to grow

  • Position: sun or partial shade, sheltered from cold winds.
  • Soil: fertile, moist but well-drained; avoid waterlogging.
  • Size: slowly to 3-5 m here; easily kept smaller.
  • Hardiness: H3, around -7C established; protect young plants.

Use it as the calm, weeping counterpoint to bold foliage in an exotic border, as refined architectural structure, or in a generous pot among our plants for pots. It converses beautifully with Schefflera taiwaniana and the rest of our hardy exotics.

Nursery-grown plants with strong leaders. Winter care in our seasonal expectations guide.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

  • Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
  • It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
  • Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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How to care for Henkel's Yellowwood

Plant me in full sun and protect me when hard frost threatens.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
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About Henkel's Yellowwood

Podocarpus henkelii needs full sun or partial shade and moist but well-drained soil. It is half-hardy to around −5°C and needs protection from hard frost.

Good for

Architectural Exotic Borders Pots & Containers

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

Semi-Hardy (H3): down to around −5°C. Half-hardy; reliable in mild or coastal gardens, protect in colder areas.

Rated H3, taking around -7C once established in a sheltered spot. Reliable in mild and urban gardens; give young plants winter protection in colder areas. Read moreShow less

Rated H3, taking around -7C once established in a sheltered spot. Reliable in mild and urban gardens; give young plants winter protection in colder areas.

Position

Full sunPartial shadeEast-facingSouth-facingWest-facingSheltered
Sun or partial shade, sheltered from cold, drying winds. Read moreShow less

Sun or partial shade, sheltered from cold, drying winds.

Soil

LoamSandClayMoist but well-drainedAcid pHNeutral pH
Fertile, moist but well-drained soil; avoid waterlogging and thin chalk. Read moreShow less

Fertile, moist but well-drained soil; avoid waterlogging and thin chalk.

Watering

Water for the first two summers and mulch in spring; established trees are low-maintenance. Read moreShow less

Water for the first two summers and mulch in spring; established trees are low-maintenance.

Mature size

Height3-5 m (UK)
Spread2-3 m

Reaches full size in 20-50 years

Growth habit

Columnar/upright

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Evergreen

Pruning

No routine pruning; shape lightly in late spring if needed, keeping the natural tiered outline.

Toxicity

Foliage and fruit are mildly toxic if eaten; keep from chewing pets.

Native range

South Africa (Drakensberg)

Family

Podocarpaceae

Also known as

Podocarpus henkelii

Genus

Podocarpus
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Podocarpus henkelii?

Henkel's yellowwood, a South African conifer that refuses to look like one: long, glossy, strap-shaped leaves hang in elegant drooping curtains from tiered branches. It is among the most beautiful evergreen trees of the southern hemisphere, and rarely offered in the UK.

Is Podocarpus henkelii hardy here?

It comes from the high Drakensberg, so it is tougher than its lush looks suggest: around -7C established, which we rate H3. Mild, urban and coastal gardens suit it in the ground; elsewhere it makes a superb large pot specimen. See our seasonal expectations guide.

How big does it get in the UK?

A slow, graceful 3 to 5 m over decades here, easily kept smaller, and happy for years in a container. In its native forests it is a forest giant, but British light and winters keep it beautifully in scale.

How should I use it in the garden?

As a refined evergreen focal point: the weeping foliage reads tropical without a single frost-tender gene on show. Superb in an exotic border, as architectural foliage, or in a large pot among our plants for pots.

Is Podocarpus safe for pets?

Foliage and fruit are mildly toxic if eaten, so discourage chewing pets, as you would with yew relatives. Brushing past or handling the plant is completely safe.

How do I care for a yellowwood?

Shelter, decent soil, water while young, and patience. No routine pruning, few pests, and slow, steady growth. It quietly becomes more beautiful every year among our hardy exotics.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
Why Grow Tropicals

Plants delivered the way they deserve

Packaged with Care

Packaged with Care

Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

Perfect for Gifting

Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

Delivered fresh, beautiful, and gift-ready.

Sustainability at Heart

Sustainability at Heart

All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

Good for your home - and the planet.

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Podocarpus henkelii
£29.99