THE NATIVE SUPERFOOD & PREMIER HEDGE: Estate-grown stock and advanced commercial landscape supply available.

Currently dispatching robust 140mm (45–55cm) and advanced 200mm (1m–1.2m) estate-grown specimens.

Illawarra Plum Pine (Podocarpus elatus)

Price range: $34.95 through $49.95

Estate Propagated & East Coast Network

Ships to Eastern States. WA/NT/TAS strictly via Plant Concierge.

Prized Bush Tucker Fruit
Excellent for Formal Hedging
Authentic Local Provenance
Bulk & Advanced Sourcing

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The Ultimate Native Utility Conifer

The Illawarra Plum Pine (Podocarpus elatus) is one of Australia’s most versatile and highly prized native conifers. Endemic to the eastern rainforests, it is celebrated equally by bush tucker enthusiasts for its delicious, fleshy plum-like fruit, and by landscape architects who utilise its dense, dark green foliage for immaculate formal hedging and street plantings. At Sequoia Valley Farms, we manage the entire supply chain. For the collector and home gardener, we offer meticulously in-house cultivated 140mm (45–55cm) and 200mm (1m–1.2m) specimens, grown from seed carefully collected from native stands in the Greater Southwestern Sydney region. For commercial, council, and large-scale acreage projects, we leverage our elite eastern seaboard network to facilitate advanced specimens ranging from 300mm pots up to massive 100L feature trees and topiary standards. Whatever the scale of your vision, SVF is the undisputed destination for the Illawarra Plum.

Bush tucker bounty — produces a delicious, juicy, dark purple modified stem that is highly prized in modern Australian cuisine

Formal architecture — dense, glossy foliage that responds brilliantly to pruning, making it the ultimate native alternative to Japanese Yew

Verified provenance — our 140mm and 200mm stock is grown entirely in-house from locally foraged Southwestern Sydney seed

Infinite scale — utilising our commercial network to source bulk quantities and massive 100L advanced specimens for major projects

At a Glance

Pot Size: 140mm & 200mm (In-House) / 300mm to 100L (Network Special Order)
Est. Height: 45–55cm (140mm) | 1m–1.2m (200mm)
Mature Size: 8–12m in cultivation (Can be clipped to 2m hedges)
Growth Habit: Dense, bushy, and upright; highly responsive to pruning
Style: Bush Tucker Gardens / Formal Hedging / Coastal Plantings

FRUITING ADVICE: PLANT IN MULTIPLES*
*The Illawarra Plum is dioecious, meaning individual trees are either male or female. To ensure successful pollination and a heavy crop of edible fruit, we highly recommend planting a group of at least 3 to 5 trees to guarantee a mix of sexes!

The Podocarpus elatus is a majestic, long-lived Gondwanan conifer that seamlessly bridges the gap between wild rainforest heritage and refined landscape design. Unlike traditional pines, its foliage consists of soft, glossy, dark green lanceolate leaves. In the wild, it is a towering canopy tree, but in cultivation, it forms a neat, dense column that is highly tolerant of salt spray, urban pollution, and poor soils.

For native food enthusiasts, the female trees produce an extraordinary “fruit.” Technically a modified, fleshy stalk (receptacle), this dark purple, grape-like structure is sweet, slightly piney, and packed with antioxidants. Whether you want to buy an Illawarra Plum Pine to start a backyard bush tucker forest, or you need to source fifty advanced trees for a commercial formal hedge, SVF guarantees premium quality and deep botanical expertise.

Gourmet Bush Tucker: The fleshy, dark blue-purple receptacles are delicious raw or made into jams, sauces, and preserves. A must-have for food forests.
The Native Yew: Responds beautifully to tight, formal clipping. An incredible, fast-growing native choice for privacy screens and topiary standards.
Commercial Sourcing: Need advanced sizes? We routinely leverage our network to supply 300mm to 100L specimens for landscape architects and councils.
Tough & Adaptable: Highly resilient to coastal salt spray, urban smog, and varied soil types, making it a bulletproof feature tree.

Expand Your Native Landscape

Pair the Illawarra Plum with other hardy, architectural Australian natives.

The dense, lanceolate foliage of a female Podocarpus elatus loaded with highly prized bush tucker: fleshy, dark purple edible receptacles topped with hard seeds. Illawarra plum fruit.

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Trusted by Gardeners Like You

★★★★★

"We wanted a formal, manicured hedge for our coastal property, but insisted on using native species. SVF sourced thirty advanced 300mm Podocarpus elatus for us. They look incredibly sharp and handle the sea breeze perfectly."

— Kurt P. — Landscape Designer, Wollstonecraft (NSW)

★★★★★

"I bought five of the 140mm stock grown from their local seed a few years ago to ensure I got a mix of males and females. They are thriving, and this year's plum harvest was incredible. Best bush tucker plant I own."

— Jemma M. — Permaculture Gardener, Springbrook (QLD)

★★★★★

"The quality of the 200mm plant I received is outstanding—it arrived standing over a metre tall. The dark green foliage is beautiful, and knowing SVF collects the seed locally shows real dedication to provenance."

— David L. — Native Plant Collector, Daylesford (VIC)

Do I need more than one tree to get fruit?

Yes! The Illawarra Plum Pine is dioecious, meaning trees are distinctly male or female. Only the females produce the fleshy plum, but they require a male nearby for pollination. Because sex cannot be determined until they mature, we strongly recommend planting a cluster of at least 3 to 5 trees to ensure a mix.

Is this plant good for hedging?

It is exceptional. Often called the "Native Yew," its dense, dark green foliage responds brilliantly to regular pruning. It is widely used by high-end landscapers for formal privacy screens, topiary, and standard forms.

Can you supply large quantities for my landscape project?

Absolutely. While we grow our 140mm and 200mm stock entirely in-house, we utilise our elite commercial network to source large quantities and advanced sizes (up to 100L) for councils, developers, and landscape architects across the eastern seaboard.

Why do TAS, WA, and NT orders require the Plant Concierge?

There are currently no TAS-certified wholesale growers in our network for this specific species. Therefore, all orders to Tasmania, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory must be fulfilled using our in-house 140mm stock and routed through our Plant Concierge for mandatory biosecurity treatments.

Detailed Description and Specs

The Illawarra Plum Pine (Podocarpus elatus), also known as the Brown Pine, is a magnificent evergreen conifer native to the subtropical rainforests of the Australian east coast.

It lacks traditional pine needles and instead bears soft, glossy, dark green, lanceolate (spear-shaped) leaves. The bark is dark brown and finely flaky. As a dioecious species, female trees produce a highly unusual and sought-after “fruit” consisting of a hard, inedible seed sitting atop a swollen, fleshy, dark purple stalk (receptacle) that is rich in flavour and antioxidants. In the wild, it can reach 30m, but in garden settings, it typically forms a dense, bushy tree of 8–12m, easily managed with pruning.

Species: Podocarpus elatus (Illawarra Plum Pine / Brown Pine)
Foliage: Glossy, dark green, lance-shaped leaves.
Fruit: Edible, fleshy purple receptacle (requires male & female trees).
Growth Rate: Moderate to fast in good conditions.
Best For: Bush tucker gardens, formal hedges, and coastal street trees.

Care and Planting Guide

This is an incredibly adaptable and hardy native that will thrive in a wide variety of garden settings.

Sunlight & Location: Highly versatile. It will grow beautifully in full sun to heavy, dappled shade. It is highly tolerant of salt-laden coastal winds and urban pollution.
Soil & Drainage: Prefers deep, moist, well-draining, and organically rich soils, mimicking its rainforest origins. However, once established, it is remarkably adaptable to poorer, sandy soils.
Watering: Keep well-watered during its establishment phase and during extended dry periods. Mulch heavily to retain soil moisture.
Pruning: Responds excellently to pruning. For formal hedges, prune regularly during the active growing season to encourage dense, bushy growth.

Shipping and Delivery

Standard & Advanced Stock – Eastern States
Our in-house 140mm and 200mm stock, as well as network-sourced advanced specimens (300mm+), are shipped securely via premium plant freight across NSW, ACT, VIC, QLD, and SA.

Western Australia, Northern Territory & Tasmania
Because there is no certified direct island supply for this species, all orders to WA, NT, and TAS must be fulfilled using our in-house 140mm stock and processed through our Plant Concierge for mandatory biosecurity treatments prior to dispatch.

Plant a Native Masterpiece

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