Practical
Plants

Cephalotaxus harringtonia drupacea

Japanese Plum Yew

a perennial woody evergreen member of the Cephalotaxus genus in the family Cephalotaxaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Growth rate
slow
Height
5 m
Spread
3 m
Fertility
Self sterile, Wind
Flower type
dioecious
Pollinators
Wind

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Fruit. - raw or cooked[6]. The fruit closely resembles a plum in its structure, the flesh is thick, juicy and very sweet with a hint of pine in its flavour[9][7]. The fruit is about 2 - 3cm long[10]. The fruit does not always ripen in Britain, before full ripeness it has a disgusting resinous flavour that coats the mouth and refuses to go away for hours[K]. Seed - raw or cooked[11][2]. Oily[1]. The seed has a firm texture and a slightly resinous flavour[K].

Plant part
Fruit
Product or use
Oil
Plant part
Seed

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

An oil obtained from the seed is used as an illuminant[2]. Very tolerant of pruning, this plant makes a very good hedge in shady positions[10].

Product or use
Oil

Ecology and functions

Hedge

Environment

Range
E. Asia - Japan.
Habitat
An understorey shrub in woodlands[3][10].
Light
partial sun
Shade tolerance
permanent shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 7+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[5], it should then germinate in the following spring[K]. A hard seedcoat can delay germination, especially in if the seed is not sown as soon as it is ripe[81, K]. Stored seed should be cold-stratified and sown in a cold frame in the spring[10]. Germination can take 18 months or more. Prick out the seedlings as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow them on for at least their first winter under cover. Plant out in late spring after the last expected frosts. Greenwood cuttings of terminal shoots, August/September in a humid cold frame[1][10]. Difficult[5].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a moist well-drained sandy soil but succeeds in most soils though it dislikes dry gravelly or chalky soils[1][10]. Prefers a position in semi-shade but tolerates full shade[4][11] and it also succeeds but does not usually thrive in full sun[10]. It grows very well in the mild wet coastal region of W. Scotland where it succeeds even in full sun[10]. Requires a humid sheltered site[10], strongly disliking very exposed positions[1]. Although the dormant plant is very cold-hardy, the young growth in spring, even on mature plants, is frost-tender and so it is best to grow the plants in a position sheltered from the early morning sun[K]. The Japanese plum yew is a very slow growing tree[8] with an excellent potential as a food crop in Britain. This subspecies is growing very well in the shade of other conifers at Kew botanical gardens, where it fruits regularly and heavily. Both the fruit and the seed are edible, these are often eaten in Japan. In addition, the seeds seem to be immune to the predations of squirrels. The seed on trees growing at Kew Botanical gardens are untouched even though virtually every other nut tree there has its crop destroyed[K]. Plants are dioecious, but female plants sometimes produce fruits and infertile seeds in the absence of any male plants[4]. However, at least one male plant for every five females should be grown if you are growing the plants for fruit and seed. Plants have also been known to change sex[11]. Male cones are produced in the axils of the previous year's leaves, whilst female cones are borne at the base of branchlets[10]. There has been some confusion in the naming of this plant. Some botanists have separated it off as a separate species, C. drupacea, though most nowadays include it as a subspecies of C. harringtonia, differing from the species in its shortly pedunculate male catkins[11]. In cultivation it is often known as the variety 'Fastigiata'[11].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  3. Wilson. E. H. Plantae Wilsonae.

    ↩

  4. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  5. Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987-00-00 ISBN 0942375009

    ↩1↩2

  6. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

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  7. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

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  8. Mitchell. A. F. Conifers in the British Isles. HMSO 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-11-710012-9

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  9. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩

  10. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8↩9↩10

  11. Rushforth. K. Conifers. Christopher Helm 1987-00-00 ISBN 0-7470-2801-X

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

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