Looks like a baby yew - Taxus species - to me.

a scale in a pic often helps ... how long are the leaves ... the whole plant .. unless you want to run out there and put a lighter or pen cap or something in a new pic ...

is there landscape fabric under the mulch?

ken

Yes. That looks like a yew to me too. It might be a fastigiate Cephalotaxus but I’m not very clear on the differences from that picture or whether that genus is likely to be planted in quantity by a builder in S Carolina.

i should have added that i also think its a yew ... i meant with a better understanding of size .. we might narrow it down further ...

try to avoid straight down pix as they are a bit wonky ...

ken

plum yews are trendy in northern Virginia

There isn’t any landscape fabric underneath. Attached is a picture to show size and one of a branch. How large do yews get? Is this appropriate for in front of a porch?

thank you for all your help.

No pic. Also include a pic of how close to the porch it is, although growth rate will be tough to determine on such a small plant and not knowing what cultivar it may be.

tj

There are forms of spreading yews that are immensely suitable for in front of a porch. However, the form of yours in the original photo look to be more upright than spreading and upright forms can grow to considerable size over time, depending on variety. But yews are also extremely prunable to about any size you want......provided you are up for that degree of attention and maintenance.

Pictures now added

Could it possibly be a Podocarpus?

simplified.. its a conifer.. and a conifer is a tree .. and frankly.. they never stop growing ...

my parents planted little babes like that in the 60s a foot from the foundation .. and after 30 years of MAKING me shear them.. the year after i left.. dad had me come over and chainsaw them down.. and dig them up .. if i wasnt so happy i would never have to shear them again.. i would have been pissed off they made me dig them up ... lol ...

once you get a confirmed ID.. take the latin name to a search engine.. and scroll thru the pix.. looking for mature plants .. to see the future ...

as gal noted.. they can be pruned to high heaven.. and sheared to high heaven .. and all i would add is proper initial placement forestalls how fast that happens ...

from that second pic.. it looks likes its a foot or two from the porch .. and IMO .. thats at a MIN.. 2 to 3 feet too close .... unless you like yard work ... and will find it stimulating to be going at it once or twice a year for the rest of your life.... after a few years for it to really get growing ...

good on no landscape fabric ....

ken

ps: some of them can have pretty red cones... berry looking .... teach the kids to stay away from them if young ... they are not good for personal grazing ....

I second the Podocarpus nomination.

I'll third the Podocarpus and throw in the macrophyllus. That is a builder's plant in SC.

So it seems that Plum Yew seems to be a common name but it’s not really a yew from what l’m reading about it. I will have to keep studying up on this plant. Thank you all for the help. Interestingly, from googling, there is a podocarpus called plum yew and a Cephalotaxus that can also be known as a plum yew. So if I’m not correct on that please let me know. Thanks to all.

I'll 4th it 😄

Podocarpus is a very common landscaping plant here in FL too.

https://www.south-florida-plant-guide.com/podocarpus.html

Florezca, Podocarpus has a lot of common names that are very misleading. The majority of them have pine or yew in the name, and Podocarpus isn't either of those genera. I see it called Plum Pine, and Yew Plum Pine. I'm sure it's also called Yew Plum somewhere online. It's erroneously called Japanese Yew, which is actually Taxus cuspidata, and it's called Chinese yew, which is Taxus chinensis. This is a good example of why it's so important to know the binomial name! It can be difficult to tell Taxus and Podocarpus apart. The reason I think it could be Podocarpus is the leaves are more relaxed and have a whorled pattern, while Taxus leaves are more rigid and seem to grow in a straight plain. The flowers of both genera are noticeably different, and Podocarpus and most of the Taxus species are dioecious, so there will be either male or female flowers to identify. Cephalotaxus leaves also grow along a straight plain. Plum yew is the most common common name used for Cephalotaxus, because it's a part of Taxus sensu lato, so in this case the common name does help describe it, yet Plum Yew, makes one think of Taxus and not Cephalotaxus. It's deserving of a more fitting common name without yew or pine in the title.

The third picture does look much less yew-like than the original top down, no scale photo. Podocarpus looks good.

Cephalotaxus harringtonia var. 'Fastigiata' has leaves that grow radially around the stems, but it's leaves look longer than the leaves this plant.