You may be familiar with many office floor plants.  Popular varieties include several varieties of Ficus trees.  The Dracaena family includes corn plants, dragon trees, Janet Craig and more. Bamboo plants and many other varieties of palms are very durable and popular.  But even with the broad varietal selection suitable for the building space today, often overlooked is the Podocarpus gracilior commonly referred to as the African Fern Pine.  Native to the southern hemisphere, the tree grows to 75 feet and is an important timber product. Here in the United States, it is grown as an ornamental; however, uncommon, but not rarely, found in the office building.

David with Podocarpus(L) and Ficus(R)

     Because the Podocarpus characteristically has several advantages over its alternatives, such as Ficus, it is odd that the tree is not more popular. The Ficus grows approximately seven times faster than the Podocarpus and this means that the care provider will be pruning more often.  While the Podocarpus requires less frequent pruning, the technique is different and in fact easier to accomplish. The Podocarpus naturally weeps in a manner that bears a significant resemblance to the weeping willow.