Garcinia subellipticaFukugi Tree

Garcinia subelliptica, the Fukugi Tree, has been planted around Okinawan villages for centuries as a windbreak, and the reason is visible in the plant: thick leathery leaves packed onto a narrow dense crown that takes a typhoon without stripping. It is slow, but what it builds is close to solid.

It is used for coastal shelterbelts, boundary and avenue planting and formal evergreen structure in exposed sites.

Specifications

• Height10 to 20 metres
• Width5 to 8 metres
• Native toThe Ryukyu Islands of Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines and Melanesia
• FoliageThick, leathery, dark green elliptic leaves held densely on stiff branches; evergreen
• Growth rateSlow

Conditions

• SoilPrefers well-drained sandy or coral soils and tolerates poor and saline ground
• LightFull sun to partial shade
• WaterModerate; tolerates dry spells once established
• ClimateThrives in tropical and subtropical coastal regions

Additional Features

• FormDense narrow conical to columnar crown
• UsesIdeal for coastal windbreaks and shelterbelts, boundary and avenue planting, evergreen screening and shade in exposed sites
• SpacingPlant 4 to 6 metres apart for a continuous shelterbelt
• Low MaintenanceNeeds almost no pruning; the crown is naturally dense and self-shaping
• Pest ResistanceGenerally robust and free of significant problems
• Salt ToleranceLong-standing coastal use, and tolerant of salt spray and saline sands
• LongevityVery long-lived; village plantings survive for generations

The Fukugi Tree is the shelterbelt species to choose where the wind and the salt are relentless and the client can wait for it.