Japanese Cedar
Cryptomeria japonica
Mature Height: 30-40 ft.
Growth Rate: Fast
Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
Foliage: Evergreen, blue-green needles, bronze-green in winter.
Flower/Fruit: Small cones clustered at shoot tips.
Hardy to Zone 5
Visitors to our garden always comment on this tree and want to know the identity. Rising twenty-five feet into a pyramidal cone (in just 9 years!), it projects a refined elegance. The soft needles remind me of the popular houseplant, the Norfolk pine, and it is always tempting to brush your hands across the foliage as you stroll by it. The foliage is dense and I’ve never noticed unsightly bare spots which can often be a problem with evergreens. The thick central trunk is reddish brown in color and peels in strips. I’ve not detected a fragrance from the needles but that is the only disadvantage to this lovely tree.
Note: We lost this tree in 2011 to an infestation of spider mites (or so I was told by our county extension agent). I had no idea what was happening to it at the time and I'm not sure if it could have been saved (it is huge). I trimmed the lower branches off and planned to use the trunk as a support for a rose. I've noticed that new leaves are emerging at the top of the tree but I don't think there is any hope for it returning to its former glory. Be aware of spider mites!
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Growth Rate: Fast
Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
Foliage: Evergreen, blue-green needles, bronze-green in winter.
Flower/Fruit: Small cones clustered at shoot tips.
Hardy to Zone 5
Visitors to our garden always comment on this tree and want to know the identity. Rising twenty-five feet into a pyramidal cone (in just 9 years!), it projects a refined elegance. The soft needles remind me of the popular houseplant, the Norfolk pine, and it is always tempting to brush your hands across the foliage as you stroll by it. The foliage is dense and I’ve never noticed unsightly bare spots which can often be a problem with evergreens. The thick central trunk is reddish brown in color and peels in strips. I’ve not detected a fragrance from the needles but that is the only disadvantage to this lovely tree.
Note: We lost this tree in 2011 to an infestation of spider mites (or so I was told by our county extension agent). I had no idea what was happening to it at the time and I'm not sure if it could have been saved (it is huge). I trimmed the lower branches off and planned to use the trunk as a support for a rose. I've noticed that new leaves are emerging at the top of the tree but I don't think there is any hope for it returning to its former glory. Be aware of spider mites!
Back to Trees & Shrubs