Japanese cryptomeria (Cryptomeria japonica) is native to Japan and southern China. The larger cultivars are excellent replacements for problematic Leyland cypress (Cupressus x leylandii).
Barbara H. Smith, ©2024 HGIC, Clemson Extension
Japanese cryptomeria (Cryptomeria japonica), or Japanese cedar, is a splendid evergreen that becomes even more handsome as it matures. Native to Japan and southern China, cryptomerias are excellent tree or dwarf shrub selections for the Southeast. They will grow in USDA planting zones 5 to 9.
Mature Height/Spread
Depending on the cultivar, cryptomerias are 3 to 4 feet tall and wide for the dwarf types, and tree forms can be up to 50 to 80 feet tall and 20 to 30 feet wide.
Growth Rate
The growth rate is slow to medium. Cryptomerias are long-lived, as there are specimens in Japan that are about 650 years old.
Landscape Use
Depending on the cultivar, cryptomerias are suitable for borders, screens, foundation plantings, and specimens. Large or medium-growing cultivars are excellent replacements for problematic Leyland cypress. Medium growers work well as lawn specimens on smaller properties because of their narrow canopy and relatively slow growth rate. Dwarf cryptomerias can be used in foundation and landscape bed plantings.
Cryptomerias are best planted in organically rich, moist, acidic, well-drained soil. Although moderately adaptable to dry sites, they need irrigation during drought. While cryptomerias prefer full sun, they will tolerate some partial shade. The site should have good air circulation to help prevent fungal diseases but not be exposed to high winds.
Pest Problems
Cryptomerias are typically insect-free but may have leaf blights or fungal diseases. Chemical control of diseases and insects on large trees is difficult for homeowners, as adequate pesticide coverage is impossible.
They are deer and rabbit resistant.
Cryptomeria Cultivars
Large Trees: These cultivars are pyramidal when young, but at maturity, the crown opens to an irregular, narrow oval form. The straight, tapered trunk, which may develop to 3 feet in diameter, supports wide-spreading, drooping branches. The reddish-brown bark peels off in long strips and is attractive in all seasons. The short one-half-inch, glossy blue-green needles are spirally arranged and point toward the end of the stems, creating a “foxtail” effect. On some cultivars, the foliage may turn a bronze color in winter.
-
Yoshino Japanese Cryptomeria (Cryptomeria japonica ‘Yoshino’) has blue-green foliage.
Barbara H. Smith, ©2024 HGIC, Clemson Extension‘Cristata’ has cristate (cockscomb-like) blue-green foliage. It has a slender, pyramidal growth habit and, at maturity, is 25 feet tall by 15 feet wide.
- ‘Radicans’ has a more compact columnar growth habit than ‘Yoshino.’ The needles maintain the dark green color in the winter with less bronzing. It is a fast grower, with a mature height of 40 to 45 feet tall and 15 to 20 feet wide.
- ‘Sekkan-sugi’ is a vigorous grower with a dense, pyramidal growth habit and matures at 20 to 25 feet tall by 15 to 30 feet wide. The new growth is a yellowish-white that turns green with the summer heat.
- ‘Yoshino’ is a fast grower that matures 30 to 40 feet tall by 20 to 30 feet wide. The blue-green foliage may turn slightly bronze in the winter. This cultivar is an excellent replacement for the problematic Leyland cypress.
Medium Trees: Medium-sized cryptomerias are much smaller in height and width, making them a good choice for smaller landscapes.
- ‘Araucarioides’ has rope-like branches that resemble snakes, which add textural interest to the landscape. The needles are short and dark green and do not bronze in winter. It has an open, irregular, conical growth habit and reaches a height of 15 feet by 8 feet wide.
- ‘Black Dragon’ has a dense, irregular growth habit and matures 8 to 10 feet tall by 4 to 6 feet wide. The light green foliage in the summer turns a darker green in the winter. Abundant male cones tend to hang on to the plant, which may be undesirable.
Araucarioides Japanese Cryptomeria (Cryptomeria japonica ‘Araucarioides’) has rope-like branches that resemble snakes, which add textural interest to the landscape.
Barbara H. Smith, ©2024 HGIC, Clemson Extension
Black Dragon Cryptomeria (Cryptomeria japonica ‘Black Dragon’) has a dense, irregular growth habit and matures 8 to 10 feet tall by 4 to 6 feet wide.
Barbara H. Smith, ©2024 HGIC, Clemson Extension
Abundant male cones tend to hang on Black Dragon Cryptomeria, which may be undesirable.
Barbara H. Smith, ©2024 HGIC, Clemson Extension
- ‘Goikumo’ has dense bluish-green foliage in the summer that may turn bronze during the colder months. It is a fast grower with a pyramidal growth habit and matures 8 to 10 feet tall by 3 to 6 feet wide.
- ‘Gyokuryu’ has a dense, pyramidal growth habit with short, dark green needles. It does not have abundant male cones, making it a more desirable selection than ‘Black Dragon.’ It will mature 10 to 15 feet tall by 5 to 7 feet wide in ten years.
Gyokuryu Cryptomeria (Cryptomeria japonica ‘Gyokuryu’) has a dense, pyramidal growth habit with short, dark green needles.
Courtesy of Bill Head, ©2024
Dwarf Shrubs: Dwarf cryptomeria cultivars grow slowly and have dense, rounded growth habits. They can be planted in foundations, low borders, or as specimens. The compact growth habit and airy evergreen foliage contrast well with other plants with large leaves.
- ‘Dragon Knight™’ has a dwarf, compact, dense growth habit. It is a slow grower that matures 3 to 4 feet tall and wide in ten years. The foliage holds a blue-green color all year.
- ‘Dragon Prince’ has a low, compact, mounding growth habit that matures at 2 to 3 feet tall by 3 to 4 feet wide. The stiff foliage is light green.
- ‘Dragon Warrior™’ has an irregular, conical growth habit. The dense new foliage is bright green in the spring and turns a darker green in the summer. In the winter months, the foliage is a black-greenish green. It is a slow grower, maturing 4 to 4 ½ feet tall by 30 inches wide.
- ‘Globosa Nana’ has dark green needles that turn rusty red in the winter. It has a rounded, compact growth habit and will reach 3 to 4 feet tall by 3 feet wide but can get larger with age.
Dragon Knight™ Cryptomeria (Cryptomeria japonica ‘Dragon Knight™) is a slow grower that matures 3 to 4 feet tall and wide in ten years.
Barbara H. Smith, ©2024 HGIC, Clemson Extension
The dark green needles of Globosa Nana Cryptomeria (Cryptomeria japonica ‘Globosa Nana’) will turn rusty red in the winter.
Barbara H. Smith, ©2024 HGIC, Clemson Extension
Originally published 05/99
