shrub
Shrubby yew pine
Podocarpus macrophyllus var. maki
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Hardy in zones 8–10, Shrubby yew pine is a slow-growing evergreen shrub. Expect 8–12 ft of height and 3–4 ft of spread; our lists space it 3 ft apart. It does best in full sun to shade with average water. It is grown for its year-round foliage rather than its flowers. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the structure role: a shrub that holds the bed's shape at the back all year. Deer usually leave it alone, and it is toxic to dogs and cats.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Podocarpus macrophyllus var. maki
- Plant type
- Shrub, evergreen
- Hardiness zones
- 8 to 10
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours); Part sun (4–6 hours); Part shade (2–4 hours); Shade (under 2 hours)
- Water
- Medium
- Soil
- Needs good drainage; tolerates salt.
- Mature size
- 8–12 ft tall × 3–4 ft wide
- Spacing
- 3 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Bloom
- Grown for foliage
- Roles in a bed
- Structure
- Styles
- modern, classic
- Deer resistance
- High: deer rarely eat it
- Pets
- Toxic to dogs and cats. Yew pine (Podocarpus macrophyllus) is on the ASPCA toxic list (vomiting, diarrhea).
- Native to
- Not native to the US (or a garden hybrid)
- Pot size and price
- 3-gallon pot, typically $30–$50 (easy to find)
- Plant in
- Spring or Fall
- First-year watering
- Water deeply once or twice a week through the first summer, more in heat waves, so the root ball never dries out.
- Pruning
- Shear in late spring or leave as a narrow column.
Sources: UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions and EDIS fact sheets; ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list; Texas A&M AgriLife deer-resistant landscape plant lists; state noxious weed lists / Invasive Plant Atlas of the US; typical 2026 US garden-centre and big-box listings. Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.
Good companions
The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Shrubby yew pine, across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.
- Cast iron plantAspidistra elatiorperennial · zones 7–11
- African irisDietes iridioidesperennial · zones 8–11
- Holly fernCyrtomium falcatumfern · zones 7–10
- Dwarf mondo grass 'Nana'Ophiopogon japonicus 'Nana'groundcover · zones 7–10
- Mondo grassOphiopogon japonicusgroundcover · zones 7–10
- Lily of the NileAgapanthus africanusperennial · zones 9–10
If you can't find it
Substitutes our engine offers for Shrubby yew pine: same role in the bed, passing the same rules.
- Lady palmRhapis excelsazones 9–11 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Gold dust aucuba 'Variegata'Aucuba japonica 'Variegata'zones 7–9 · flagged toxic to pets
- Upright rosemary 'Tuscan Blue'Salvia rosmarinus 'Tuscan Blue'zones 8–11 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Fatsia (Japanese aralia)Fatsia japonicazones 8–10 · not flagged toxic to pets
How this page was made
This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants