Torreya nucifera: Japanese Torreya: ENH-800/ST643, 2/2014

Abstract

Japanese Torreya is a very slow-growing evergreen which will eventually reach 40 feet tall in the home landscape and is capable of reaching 75 feet in the wild. With a pyramidal silhouette and long, graceful branches clothed with glossy, dark green leaves, Japanese Torreya provides medium to deep shade beneath its canopy. The stiff, 1.25-inch leaves give off a pungent aroma when crushed. The 1.5-inch-long, green, edible fruits follow the insignificant flowers and persist on the tree, requiring two years before maturity when they ripen and split apart. The seeds are very oily. Original publication date November 1993.