Podocarpus lawrencei

Podocarpus lawrencei, common names Errinundra plum-pine and mountain plum-pine, is native throughout the Australian high country, from southern Tasmania through to the New South Wales highlands. It grows on exposed sites to 1,800 m, often forming living carpets over rocks through wind pruning. Mountain plum-pine can live up to 600 years, and the growth rings vary with the temperature of the growing season, with narrower rings indicating unusually snowy years. These factors make it useful for determining past climate conditions in the Australian Alps. The leaves are 1 cm long and 2–3 mm broad, green, often reddish-tinted, particularly so in cold winter weather. It has small bright red berry-like cones, with a 5–10 mm long red aril and one (rarely two) apical seeds 6–8 mm long; they are eaten by birds and marsupials, but are toxic to most other mammals (including humans). Whilst it is normally low growing, rarely reaching more than 1 m in the Australian Alps, on the Errinundra Plateau in eastern Victoria it reaches 15 m in height. Planted in 2021.

229.00 Location B5   Latitude; -38.401708000000 Longitude; 146.053026000000