Plant

East African Yellowwood

Afrocarpus gracilior

Also known as African Fern Tree, Bastard Yellowwood, Fern Pine, Weeping Podocarpus

East African yellowwood is a stately evergreen conifer native to the montane forests of eastern Africa, often soaring into the canopy with a dense crown of narrow, glossy foliage. Dioecious by nature, mature female trees produce solitary seeds encased in fleshy, plum-like epimatia that turn pale yellow or purple when ripe. Widely cultivated across subtropical regions as an ornamental shade tree, it plays a vital role in native forests by anchoring fragile montane soils and nourishing fruit-eating wildlife.

EvergreenConiferCanopy Tree

—observations

—countries

—peak records

Least ConcernConservation status

Key facts

Diet & preyAutotrophic (photosynthesis)

Predators

Colobus monkeys
Hornbills
Turacos

ThreatsTimber harvesting, agricultural forest clearance, and localized habitat degradation

HabitatsAfromontane evergreen forests, riverine forests, and subtropical urban landscapes

Life span150–300+ years

Classification

OrderPinales
FamilyPodocarpaceae
GenusAfrocarpus
SpeciesAfrocarpus gracilior

Range & activity

Range data is not available yet.

Safe observation

Interaction riskHigh

Low
Moderate
High
Very high

Why interaction risk is high: Wild berries have toxic look-alikes; never eat based on app identification alone.

Responsible observation

Identify Foliage: Look for spirally arranged, narrow, lance-shaped leaves that resemble weeping foliage.
Inspect Lower Bark: Check for greyish-brown bark that flakes off in distinct rectangular or irregular plates on mature trunks.
Observe Female Trees: Look beneath the canopy in late summer for fallen, fleshy, plum-like single seeds.

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