This is one of the most beautiful and decorative of our indigenous conifers, a tree that any plant enthusiast would be proud to have in their garden. With its dense glossy foliage, it makes a most elegant pyramid of green in the garden. Podocarpus henkelii is a very neat decorative tree suitable for both home gardens and large landscapes. It makes and excellent specimen tree for lawns and is a good choice for an avenue. Podocarpus henkelii is also suited for formal gardens, as it can be pruned to the desired shape. It can also be left to achieve an informal finish. In its natural environment Podocarpus henkelii is a tall to very tall, straight stemmed forest tree, and reaching 20 to 30 m in height. In time, its trunk can grow to massive proportions, reaching over 1m in diameter, becoming fluted and spirally twisted with age. It is an evergreen tree with a dark grey to pale grey-brown, longitudinally fissured bark. In older trees this bark sometimes peels off in large pieces, exposing a red-brown under-surface.