Torreya nucifera
Torreya nucifera · also Kaya, Japanese torreya, Japanese nutmeg-yew
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Torreya nucifera is a slow-growing coniferous tree with a broadly pyramidal habit, native to southern Japan and Jeju Island, South Korea. Its stiff, prickly, needle-like foliage has a pleasant aroma, and female plants produce distinctive orange-green arils covering their seeds. This species prefers protection from wind and direct sunlight in warm climates, making careful site selection important for urban planting.
Where it grows
Trees in each city's inventory, with the share of that city's named trees this species accounts for.
- 110.01%15 yr30 in
- 20.00%—8.6 in
- 20.00%——
- 10.00%——
Traits
- Form
- Conifer
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Mature height
- 20–40 ft
- Canopy spread
- 15–25 ft
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Water needs
- Moderate
- Drought tolerance
- Moderate
- Blooms
- Mar, Apr, May
Trunk diameters across every city: median 30 in, mean 27 in, 90th percentile 30 in. Measured at breast height, as published by each inventory.
Native range
Terrestrial ecoregions where this species is native. Trees in the dataset mostly stand well outside it.
Temperate Broadleaf & Mixed Forests
- Southern Korea evergreen forests
Other Torreya in the catalogue
2 of the top 2,000 species are in this genus.
