podocarpus macrophyllus

bought 2 of these but mine look nothing like them.  They are light green not dark and have had planting shock...and sun shoch.  They are not doing well.


Japanese yews are single-trunked trees that grow in height from 20-50 feet. They may be spreading, or globe, pyramid or vase-shaped. They usually only grow 12 inches per year. Unlike most conifers, they tolerate deep shade with limited exposure to sun. Japanese yews with less exposure to sun require more pruning. They are fussy about their water intake, and need ample room to spread their roots. Leaves are flat and dark green, arranged spirally on the stem. Female plants display red berries in the fall.
Japanese yews are propagated by cuttings or by seeds. They work nicely as a formal or natural hedge, and dwarf varieties complement rock gardens. Every part of the Japanese yew (except for the berry) is poisonous enough to kill a large animal. Although the berry is not poisonous, the seeds within the berry are.
http://www.plantcare.com/encyclopedia/buddhist-pine-2293.aspx

Description: With densely foliated lower limbs which reach the ground and neat, dark green, evergreen leaves, Podocarpus is very popular as a dense screen or hedge. However, Podocarpus can reach 30 to 40 feet in height when not sheared and is quite attractive as a tree with the lower branches removed, revealing the light brown, peeling bark. If space permits, leave the lower limbs on the tree for a full-to-the-ground appearance. The tree grows in an open manner with large spaces between the branches creating a pleasing, irregular oval silhouette in middle and old age.
The inconspicuous flowers are followed by fleshy, purple, small, edible fruits (very good to eat) on female trees which are quite attractive to birds but not really messy on sidewalks or pavement. This is one of a few trees which can be pruned into a nice hedge. The dark green foliage and dense growth creates a formal mass. It looks better when pruned with a hand pruner, not sheared with a hedge trimmer. Showing best growth and form in full sun, Podocarpus will grow more slowly and have a looser appearance when grown in shade. It will grow on the north side of a tall building with little or no direct sun. It will tolerate a wide variety of well-drained, acidic soils.
This is a tough tree, adaptable to urban conditions and should be used much more extensively as a street tree. It should be used more in areas of poor, well drained soils and restricted rooting space. Unfortunately, most people choose to trim the tree into a column or hedge, so not many have seen the true beauty of the tree. It makes an attractive specimen, street or parking lot tree, even for the smallest soil space in a downtown planting pit. Roots are typically not a problem in restricted-soil planting areas and usually do not lift sidewalks very much.
Gainesville Observations: Trees grow finely after transplanting from a field nursery or from containers. One 9 inch caliper tree in our test was transplanted with a 100-inch tree spade in extreme drought May 2007 without missing a beat. This tree is pictured above one year later. There is tremendous variation among trees; we need a variety of cultivars for podocarpus for urban tree planting.
http://hort.ufl.edu/treesandpowerlines/podocarpus_macrophyllus.shtml