Yellow-Boxwood: A Pacific Native Tree Worth Considering
Meet the yellow-boxwood (Planchonella obovata), a fascinating native tree that calls the Pacific Basin home. While you might not find this beauty gracing every neighborhood garden, this perennial woody wonder has some unique qualities that make it worth knowing about, especially if you’re passionate about native plants or have connections to the Pacific region.
What’s in a Name?
Yellow-boxwood goes by several names depending on where you encounter it. In Palau, locals know it as black-ash chelangel, while others call it northern yellow-boxwood or yellow teak. Scientifically, it’s known as Planchonella obovata, though you might also see it listed under its synonym Pouteria obovata in older references.
Where Does Yellow-Boxwood Call Home?
This tree is a true Pacific native, naturally occurring in Guam and Palau. It’s part of the Pacific Basin’s native flora, though notably absent from Hawaii’s native plant roster.
The Tree Itself
Yellow-boxwood is what botanists call a proper tree – meaning it typically grows with a single trunk and reaches impressive heights of over 13 to 16 feet. Like many tropical trees, it can sometimes develop multiple stems or stay shorter depending on environmental conditions, but generally, you can expect this to be a substantial addition to any landscape.
Should You Plant Yellow-Boxwood?
Here’s where things get a bit tricky. While yellow-boxwood is undoubtedly a legitimate native species with ecological value in its home range, detailed cultivation information is quite limited. This presents both opportunities and challenges for gardeners:
The Good News:
- It’s a native species, which means it plays important ecological roles in its natural habitat
- As a tree species, it likely provides structure and habitat value
- It’s not listed as invasive or noxious anywhere
- Its multiple common names suggest it has cultural significance in Pacific communities
The Challenges:
- Limited cultivation information makes growing it somewhat of an adventure
- Its native range is quite specific to Pacific islands
- Availability in mainland nurseries is likely very limited
- Growing requirements outside its native range are unclear
Growing Conditions and Care
Unfortunately, specific growing conditions, USDA hardiness zones, and detailed care instructions for yellow-boxwood aren’t well-documented in mainstream horticultural sources. This likely reflects its limited cultivation outside its native Pacific range.
If you’re interested in growing this species, your best bet would be to:
- Contact botanical gardens or universities with Pacific plant collections
- Reach out to native plant societies in Guam or Palau
- Assume it needs warm, tropical to subtropical conditions similar to its native habitat
- Consider it experimental if you’re outside tropical zones
The Bottom Line
Yellow-boxwood represents the fascinating world of lesser-known native trees. While it may not be the easiest species to grow or find, it serves as a reminder of the incredible plant diversity in Pacific ecosystems. If you’re passionate about Pacific native plants, have connections to Guam or Palau, or simply love the idea of growing something truly unique, yellow-boxwood might be worth investigating further.
For most gardeners, especially those outside tropical zones, you might want to focus on well-documented native trees for your area that will be easier to source, grow, and maintain successfully. But if you’re up for a botanical adventure and can provide tropical growing conditions, yellow-boxwood could be a fascinating addition to a specialized native plant collection.
