Most of what the user coriaceous wrote in the other comment is good information. BUT - as noted in the federal recovery plan for this spe...Read Morecies - T. taxifolia is a glacial relict, meaning it only "traveled" to Florida as a means of survival during the last ice age (when the state itself was also cooler). Despite what the University of Florida says about the "disease" (Fusarium is literally the most common genus of *endophytes* on Earth), this species is dying off in its "native range" due to climate change. *Healthy* trees planted much farther to the north also test positive for Fusarium, but they grow tall & produce seeds - unlike the trees in Florida. Not recommended for planting in the deep south, this tree's preferred, *historic* habitat is further north (and retreating, as climate change continues). See the Torreya Guardians website for more details: http://www.torreyaguardians.org/
A very rare and endangered needled evergreen tree with a tiny native range in Florida. It is a federally listed endangered species, and i...Read Moret is on the IUCN red list of critically endangered species.
The habit is dense and conical, with whorled branches. The US champion tree is 45' tall, with a 40' crown spread and a trunk diameter of 3' at breast height. Historically, trees have reached 60'.
Healthy foliage is deep green.
This species is not suitable for xeriscaping. Established landscape-sized plants don't need supplemental irrigation in the moist southeastern US.
Commonly called stinking cedar by locals, because the crushed foliage smells like turpentine.
This species occurs naturally in shaded ravines with a moist microclimate. But in cultivartion, it is fairly shade intolerant. Near the northern end of its hardiness range, the most frequent cause of failure in landscape plants is winter wind desiccation. Plant in locations with protection from north winds and light canopy protection from winter sun.
This species is dioecious---you need a male plant and a female plant if you want to obtain seeds.
Cuttings root readily. Seeds are extremely attractive to rodents, and direct sowing is feasible only if squirrel and vole protection is provided---hardware cloth or a 6" flat rock on top. Germination is hypogeal---it takes at least two years before you see growth aboveground.
A new fungal canker disease appears to be responsible for its catastrophic decline and failure to reproduce in the wild, in 1938-1945. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fr338 The disease is said to have been spread by well-intended but not well-informed efforts to rescue and re-wild this endangered species further north (as a response to climate change). http://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/abs/10.1094/PDIS-10-10-070...
In their wisdom, some taxonomists have have renamed this species Taxus taxifolia.
Most of what the user coriaceous wrote in the other comment is good information. BUT - as noted in the federal recovery plan for this spe...Read More
A very rare and endangered needled evergreen tree with a tiny native range in Florida. It is a federally listed endangered species, and i...Read More