Japanese Cedar is an evergreen tree with an oriental look. This is not surprising since it came to us from China and Japan. The needles are arranged spirally around the stem, curve inwards, and can be twisted. It grows 50 to 60 feet tall and 20 t0 30 feet wide with a pyramidal shape. Each branch is thick with many branchlets. This is a graceful tree with beautiful reddish bark which peels off in long strips as the tree ages. It prefers rich, well drained soil and is not drought tolerant.  Full sun is best. In winter the needles turn bronze. It can be used as a specimen plant or for screening. The foliage is beautiful in Christmas greenery arrangements. The arboretum has a mature Japanese Cedar near the greenhouse.

There are many cultivars of the straight species that are better choices for the home landscape. One of these is the Sekkan-sugi Japanese Cedar (Cryptomeria japonica ‘Sekkan-sugi’). This is a compact pyramidal tree that grows 20 feet tall by 8 feet wide. The nodding tips of the branches are yellow green with new growth in late summer and into fall. You will find ours in the conifer garden behind the greenhouse.

The Japanese Cedar is a great evergreen see the arboretum conifer garden for the home landscape. It is easy to grow and has foliage which is different and distinctive from our native conifers. It can be an accent or make a privacy screen. Come out to the arboretum and see our large, mature Japanese Cedar and our young, graceful Sekkan-sugi Japanese Cedar. 

December 26, 2008  
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