‘Maki’ Podocarpus is the kind of evergreen that can make an unfinished edge feel considered. Its dense, glossy foliage rises in a slim upright column, giving fences, property lines, and foundation beds a calm green backbone without the broad footprint of a spreading shrub.

Use a row of this podocarpus to build a narrow privacy screen, place a pair where an entry needs more structure, or let a single plant stand behind lower shrubs and perennials. The deep green foliage is quiet but not plain. It creates a steady backdrop that makes flowers, pale walls, and warm brick look sharper.

Maki is a slow grower, eventually reaching 8–10 feet tall and 3–5 feet wide. That measured pace helps it maintain a tidy shape, but a new hedge will take time to fill in. Once established, it can handle heat, salt exposure, and periods of dry weather and is generally considered deer-resistant. Good drainage is a condition that should not be compromised. 

Safety: Do not eat the seeds or other plant parts. Podocarpus is toxic to dogs, cats and horses if ingested.

Landscape Use

Think of Maki as a vertical green line that can be repeated through the landscape. Plant it along a fence or property edge to create a clipped living wall or space the plants farther apart so each narrow column remains visible.

A single Maki can bring height to the corner of a house without crowding the surrounding bed. It also works well beside a gate, along a long foundation, or behind a lower layer of flowering shrubs and perennials. Its fine texture suits tailored and Asian-inspired gardens, but the strong evergreen form can also give a relaxed mixed planting a cleaner finish.