Podocarpus lawrencei × nivalis

'Blaze'

A broad, compact, slow-growing shrub to 50 × 50 cm in ten years. In spring the new growth is pale orange-red, ageing to green in the summer months before turning orange-red again in autumn. It colours best in exposed positions. Raised 1986 (Auders & Spicer 2012).

'Chocolate Box'

A shrub to 2 × 2 m in ten years producing rather vigorous, upright shoots that later arch over the plant. Foliage dull green, turning ‘a very rich, deep, dark reddish brown in winter’ especially after exposure to frost. Raised c. 1986 (Auders & Spicer 2012).

Good, dark colouration on Podocarpus 'Chocolate Box' at RHS Garden Rosemoor, Devon, UK. 26 March 2022. Image Tom Christian.

Podocarpus 'Chocolate Box' fading towards its summer green (RHS Garden Wisley, UK, April 2023). Image John Grimshaw.

'County Park Fire'

A shrub growing wider than tall, the new spring growth flushing cream, then developing pinkish hues before maturing green in summer, finally turning bronze in winter. Once established it produces bright red female cones in autumn. To 0.6 × 1.5 m in ten years. Raised in 1985 and later named for its place of origin, the County Park Nursery in Essex, UK (Auders & Spicer 2012).

Podocarpus 'County Park Fire'. Kilworth Conifers, Leicestershire, UK. Late April 2004. Image Derek Spicer.

Podocarpus 'County Park Fire'. Young shoots expanding at Kilworth Conifers, Leicestershire, UK, in early June 2006. Image Derek Spicer.

Podocarpus 'County Park Fire'. Image Derek Spicer.

Vibrant young growth on Podocarpus 'County Park Fire' in a Dutch garden. 31 May 2014. Image Derek Spicer.

Podocarpus 'County Park Fire' (John Massey's Garden, Ashwood Nurseries, Staffordshire, UK, 6 June 2023). Image John Grimshaw.

'Flame'

A compact shrub like ‘Blaze’ but with pinkish-yellow spring growth. In ten years to 0.6 × 0.75 m. Raised c. 1986 (Auders & Spicer 2012).

'Guardsman'

An unusual selection of upright, conical habit, with green summer foliage turning rich reddish brown in winter, especially in cold, exposed positions after frost. In ten years to 1.4 × 0.6 m. Raised from seed in 1990 and introduced to commerce by Kilworth Conifers c. 2012 (Auders & Spicer 2012).

Podocarpus 'Guardsman' foliage is green through summer and will take on reddish-brown hues when cold weather sets in. RHS Garden Wisley, 2 September 2022. Image Tom Christian.

Winter colour on Podocarpus 'Guardsman' at RHS Garden Wisley, 3 March 2022. Image Patrick Paul.

'Orangeade'

A small rounded shrub, similar to ‘Blaze’ but with pale orange spring growth and not bronzing so strongly in winter. In ten years to 0.6 × 0.7 m. Raised in 1986 (Auders & Spicer 2012).

'Red Embers'

A shrub to 1 × 1 m in ten years. Leaves green in summer, taking on bronzey hues by autumn, then variably burgundy through to reddish chocolate-brown in winter (Hatch 2021–2022). As with most of these cultivars the winter colouration is probably strongest after frost. Origin uncertain: it is not listed by Auders & Spicer (2012) nor in the last Hillier Manual (Edwards & Marshall 2019), but it has become quite widespread in commerce in the last few years, particularly in the UK.

Podocarpus 'Red Embers' at RHS Garden Harlow Carr, UK. 4 May 2023. Image John Grimshaw.

'Spring Sunshine'

Similar to ‘Country Park Fire’ but somewhat faster growing and with cream coloured spring growth. A floriferous female clone raised in 1985 (Auders & Spicer 2012).

Podocarpus 'Spring Sunshine' (John Massey's Garden, Ashwood Nurseries, Staffordshire, UK, 6 June 2023). Image John Grimshaw.

'Young Rusty'

A dense shrub with strongly ascending, later arching new growth, which produces abundant female cones. The foliage turns a deep rust-red to brown colour in winter. To 1 × 1.3 m in ten years. Raised 1986 (Auders & Spicer 2012).

Podocarpus 'Young Rusty', the typically dark winter foliage colour still evident in mid March 2003 in Leicestershire, UK. Image Derek Spicer.

And a few weeks later, the vibrant spring growth on the same plant of Podocarpus 'Young Rusty'. Image Derek Spicer.

Podocarpus 'Young Rusty' (John Massey's Garden, Ashwood Nurseries, Staffordshire, UK, 6 June 2023). Image John Grimshaw.