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Key characteristics

Family: Podocarpaceae
Height: 6 to 30 in
Width: 4 to 10 ft
Flower color: None; produces small cones, not flowers
Foliage color: Dense, leathery evergreen leaves; olive to mid-green
Light: Full sun to light shade
Water: Moderate
Maintenance: Low; little or no pruning needed
Growing zone: USDA zones 7 to 9
Wildlife: Dense foliage offers year-round shelter for small birds and wildlife; pollen and fleshy seed cones may provide food for some birds and small mammals

Shrubs

Podocarpus nivalis

Snow Totara

Podocarpus nivalis, known as snow tōtara, is a low, spreading evergreen conifer with dense foliage. Short, thick leaves sit close along the stems, olive green and often flushed bronze or reddish in cold weather. Branchlets can root where they touch the ground, forming interwoven mats over rocks, banks, and walls.

Native to alpine regions of New Zealand's North and South Islands, Podocarpus nivalis grows on exposed slopes and rocky grassland.

Light

Full sun to light shade

Water

Moderate

Bloom time

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Find this plant

Works well in

Sun Gardens
Rock Gardens
Slopes & Banks
Bird Gardens

Companion plants

Salvias · Bottlebrush · Blazing star · Maiden grass · Candytuft · Daisy bush

Design tip

Snow totara looks especially attractive spilling over rocks or along a slope, where its low, spreading branches can soften hard edges. Its olive-green foliage develops bronze and reddish tones in colder weather, adding welcome color to the winter garden.