Cryptomeria japonica

Native to parts of Japan and China, Cryptomeria japonica is an elegant, evergreen tree once established with tiny, awl-shaped leaves. These leaves are bright green in the summer, turning bronze-brown through the winter.

The bark of established specimens is very ornamental, reddish-brown and peeling in strips. A handsome garden tree, slender when young best suited to mild parts of the United Kingdom or positions sheltered from cold wind in more exposed areas.

• Position: Full sun or light, dappled shade.
• Soil: Moist yet well drained, fertile soil. Cryptomeria japonica will not grow well in shallow, chalky soils.
• Hardiness: Hardy. 
• Rate of Growth: Moderate.
• Habit: Cryptomeria japonica will grow to be a tall slender tree with a pyramidal habit.
  • Height: up to 20 m (65 ft) but usually smaller in the U.K.
  • Spread: 8 m (26 ft).

• Notes: Cryptomeria japonica is notably wind tolerant but dislikes maritime exposure.