Find a plant:

OR Browse All Plants


Cryptomeria japonica (Japanese cedar)


Be the first to rate this plant

Plant Showcase - from our advertisers


Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Botanical Name: Cryptomeria japonica krip-toe-MARE-ee-ah jah-PON-ih-kah Common Name: Japanese cedar Genus: Cryptomeria
This is a coniferous evergreen with year-round interest and a graceful shape. Young foliage emerges a pale shade of yellow in a herringbone pattern in the spring and is a striking contrast to the deeper green of the older needles by summer. Crinkled brown cones dangle daintily on the ends of the branches in autumn, followed by new developing cones gleaming like little lanterns through the winter.
 Noteworthy characteristics: Outstanding mid- to deep green foliage and conical or columnar form that vary by cultivar. Larger cultivars can be used as specimens or for screening. Dwarf cultivars are effective accents in rock gardens or conifer collections. Cryptomerias will coppice successfully.
 Care: Grow in deep, slightly acidic soil in a sunny location. Protect from high winds. Water regularly in spring and give it a deep soaking once a week in the summer months.
 Propagation: Root ripewood cuttings in late summer or early autumn.
 Problems: Needle necrosis, branch dieback, and root rot may occur on young plants. Nematodes can cause stunting.
Height Over 30 ft.
Spread 15 ft. to 30 ft.
Light Full Sun to Part Shade
Moisture Medium Moisture
Characteristics Showy Seed Heads
Foliage Color Evergreen
Uses , Screening, Specimen Plant/ Focal Point
Style , Woodland Garden
Seasonal Interest , Winter Interest, Spring Interest, Summer Interest, Fall Interest
Type ,Trees

Plants you might also like

no image available Cryptomeria japonica ‘Sekkan-sugi’
(Japanese cedar) Be the first to rate this plant
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This conical evergreen offers year-round interest and a graceful shape, with branches that are more pendent than the species. Young foliage emerges a pale shade of yellow in a herringbone pattern in the spring and is a striking contrast to the deeper green of the older needles by summer. Crinkled brown cones dangle daintily on the ends of the branches in autumn, followed by new developing cones gleaming like little lanterns through the winter.
Sciadopitys verticillata Sciadopitys verticillata
(Japanese umbrella pine) Be the first to rate this plant
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This glorious conifer constitutes the sole member of both its genus and plant family. It is without a peer in its beauty; on a mature specimen, its rich needles compose a sculpture of form, texture, and color that is unrivaled. The foliage develops a bronzy tint in winter. While it often grows to 30 feet in cultivation and 90 feet in the wild, its slow-growing nature inspires patience.
Taxodium distichum and cvs. Taxodium distichum and cvs.
(Bald cypress) (1 user review)
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Its great beauty and variety of sizes and shapes makes this deciduous conifer a candidate for extensive use. Bald cypress is a tall, conical, almost columnar tree with pale brown, shallowly fissured bark. Its bright green needles become golden in the fall. The cultivar 'Monarch of Illinois' is shaped totally unlike the typical bald cypress, but shares its delicate foliage and warm-looking, ruddy bark. It has a large, rounded crown, like a maple. With an ultimate height of about 85 feet and spread to 65 feet, it is suited to large gardens. A smaller cultivar, 'Shawnee Brave', has a narrow, pyramidal growth habit, an ultimate height of 70 feet, and a span of up to 18 feet.
Acer rubrum ‘Red Sunset’ Acer rubrum ‘Red Sunset’
(Red maple, Scarlet maple) Be the first to rate this plant
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This is a rounded to open-crown deciduous tree up to 70 feet tall and 30 feet wide with early, brilliant red fall coloring.
no image available Pinus strobus 'Fastigiata'
(Eastern white pine) Be the first to rate this plant
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This robust evergreen tree has a narrowly columnar crown with ascending branches, slender gray-green leaves, and smooth gray bark. Tapered green female cones ripen to brown.