Pencil Pine

Endemic to the high, mist-shrouded plateaux of Tasmania, Athrotaxis cupressoides, commonly known as the Smooth Tasmanian Cedar or Pencil Pine, is a rare and ancient evergreen conifer. Valued for its slow growth and narrow, cypress-like habit, this living fossil features tiny, overlapping scale-like leaves of a rich, deep green that fit tightly along flexible, whip-like branchlets. Over time, it forms an exceptionally neat, architectural column or small tree, bringing a distinct alpine character and structure to the landscape. It performs best in cool, humid microclimates with consistently moist, acidic, and organic-rich soil, making it a fine choice for temperate rainforest gardens or sheltered rockery borders. Remarkably long-lived and cold hardy, it requires zero routine pruning—simply allow its natural columnar form to develop undisturbed.

Site: Sheltered
Soil: Consistently moist, humus-rich, acidic soil. Excellent drainage is important, but the roots must never dry out completely.
Position: Full sun, will tolerate partial shade
Season of Interest: All year
Hardiness: Fully hardy
Height: Large 10-20ft (3-6m) Spread: 3-6ft (1-2m)

Image by J Brew, cropped and licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0