Austrotaxus spicata, as described in 1922 by Robert Harold Compton (1886-1979) in Journal of the Linnean Society, Botany 45th edition, is commonly known as New Caledonia yew or Southern yew. The species name describes the spike-like pollen cones that help to distinguish this conifer.
Description. New Caledonia yew is an evergreen coniferous species of shrub or small tree that grows to mature heights of 15 to 65 feet (5 - 20 m) (rarely to 80 feet / 25 m) tall with a trunk up to 12 inches (30 cm), measured at breast height.
Distribution. This species is endemic to only New Caledonia, where it grows in the central and northern parts of the island on serpentine soils at elevations of 1,000 to 4,000 feet (300-1,350 m) above sea level.
Hardy to USDA Zone 10, cold hardiness limit between 30º and 40ºF (-1° and +4.4°C).
