Conifer Database - Microcachrys

Conifer Trees Database

Welcome to the American Conifer Society Database

Established in 1983, our mission is centered on advocating for the integration of conifer trees in garden designs and landscapes. We are dedicated to educating enthusiasts and the general public about the proper care, cultivation, and conservation of these majestic and diverse evergreens.

    
Microcachrys Genus

Microcachrys tetragona (creeping pine or creeping strawberry-pine) is a species of dioecious conifers belonging to the podocarp family (Podocarpaceae). It is the sole species of the genus Microcachrys. The plant is endemic to western Tasmania, where it is a low shrub growing to 40 inches (1 m) tall at high altitudes. Its leaves are scale-like, arranged (unusually for the Podocarpaceae) in opposite decussate pairs, superficially resembling those of the unrelated Diselma archeri (Cupressaceae). It shares the common name creeping pine with several other plants. Females produce tiny, red, edible berries in summer.

Twenty million year old fossils of an ancient relative are found in New Zealand indicating the lineage may have been widespread across the southern hemisphere.[