Japanese Plume CedarCryptomeria japonica ElegansHeight: 15' average mature height Zones: 6-9 Find my zone Aspect: mostly sun to full sun Watering: needs regular irrigation, about once per week during hot weather Maximum Water: tolerates occasional winter flooding but needs drier soil in the summer Habit: single stem or trunk Foliage: evergreen Growth Rate: medium
Size Availability
Out of season.
Our main crop of most plants is available starting in late fall.
Additional batches of plugs and quarts are added throughout the year.
Many of our plants are propagated in limited quantities and can sell out quickly when posted, get on the notification list below so you don't miss out. Add your email to be notified as soon as we have them back in stock:
This does NOT subscribe your email to any mailing lists, our system will only send an inventory notification message.
Production notes: in production most years but is unavailable in some due to limited seed/division material or finicky propagation
'Elegans' is a fantastic cultivar of an already amazing tree with soft feathery foliage. Typically Japanese Cryptomeria have scaled foliage like other cypress species, which are often referred to as "cedars" because of the aromatic wood. Branches grow upright at first but then tend to weep around the edges and form dense curtains of soft textured foliage which is often lined with silver. The foliage grows very dense and makes for a solid screen when planted in rows, but this plant is best appreciated where its form can be appreciated as a central landscape specimen.
Japanese Plume Cedar is often found in Japanese Gardens planted near Japanese Maples as the two species compliment each other very well with their finely detailed foliage. It is one of the best choices when growing conifers in containers and is frequently used for bonsai because of its thick trunk and branches and for how easily it can be shaped.
This variety has been around for a long time and was actually imported from Japan in the 1800's. The regular species is the national tree of Japan and is prized there because of its rot resistant wood, medium to fast growth rate, and large eventual size. It is in the redwood group of Cypress family and is similar to the endangered Coffin Tree from Taiwan. In fact, seedlings of the two species look almost identical.
We often offer a size down from a one gallon container when the trees are between eight and fifteen inches tall as this is preferred for those seeking to make extremely small bonsai specimens (which this plant is often used for). One or even two gallons will work for regular sized bonsai trees.
Propagating Cryptomeria japonica 'Elegans'
Cuttings from young wood root easily. We propagate ours by taking cuttings in mid summer and misting them, but they also work well when taken in mid-Fall and kept in high humidity with medium light levels. Cuttings are best taken from tips which grew during the past season in 5-7 inch long pieces. Remove the needles from the bottom inch or two, pulling them off causes relatively large wounds. After pulling off the needles dip them into rooting hormone - this will be absorbed into the tissue in the wounds and will be the location where roots form. Softwood cuttings in summer usually root by late fall, and fall cuttings usually root by mid summer.
Caring for Cryptomeria japonica
Very little pruning or shaping is required, but if multiple trunks start to form cut those out to ensure a well balanced tree leaving the strongest or straightest. Fertilize in the spring with a slow release pellet, we like to use Osmocote Plus 20-10-10. You can double the growth rate by providing well drained soil, mix a significant amount of shredded pine/fir bark into the soil for best results. In fact, we had cuttings which rooted out of their plug containers into a pile of pure shredded pine bark and they grew like crazy! Avoid over watering Cryptomeria; although they can handle moist conditions they do best when the soil is allowed to dry out a little bit between watering. Partly this is because the trees will develop stronger root structures and will therefore do better over time.
Close up of the foliage on Cryptomeria japonica 'Elegans' 
A very large specimen of 'Elegans'
Source: Commons
Close up of the foliage on Cryptomeria japonica 'Elegans' 
Close up of the foliage on Cryptomeria japonica 'Elegans' Packing Plants For ShippingWe pack our plants depending on the needs of each species and size, most plants ship best with the roots packed in moist sawdust or bark fines but some species don't like root disturbance and are shipped in a soil-less growing media. Excess soil is washed from the roots in preparation for shipping (18-24" White Pines)  Plants are bundled together to fit in boxes  Bundles of plants are secured in long boxes. Plant Sizes 3 gallon Dawn Redwood  Standard quart shrub  Standard 14-18" multi-stem tree size  Standard deep plug pine tree Bamboo Plants Are Shipped In Their ContainersBamboo roots are not flexible and so plants have to be shipped in their containers. These plants are heavier and are shipped separately from bare root plants. Because they are potted they can handle longer transit times so can ship via UPS Ground instead of USPS Air Mail. Potted plants can also be shipped year-round.We regularly top our 1 gallon bamboo plants at 24-30 inches tall throughout the growing season. This results in dense, bushy foliage while allowing for economical shipping. From this size most running species will grow to 5-6 feet tall in the first spring and clumping species will usually grow to 4-5 feet tall.  1 gallon bamboo plants strapped in and ready to be sealed. Unpacking Bare Root PlantsYou will be sent tracking details as soon as your plants are shipped. Unpack your plants as quickly as possible after they are delivered. We use two types of boxes, side-sealing and top-sealing. For boxes that are taped along the whole length you can cut the tape on either side and remove the plant bundles by cutting the tape holding the bundle to the bottom. For boxes that are sealed on the top and bottom, it is easiet to open the bottom of the box (the shipping label is at the top) and pull the bundle of plants out straight out. Check that the box is empty as there can be a second bundle of plants stuck towards the top. A bundle of trees. What if I am not able to plant right away?You can usually leave the plants in their shipping container unopened for 1-2 days if there were no shipping delays and you have received your plants from late November through February. Plants shipped when it is warmer can't stay in their packages for as long.For longer term storage of plants you can pot them up or plant them in rows close together temporarily and then pull them out later in the spring to be planted again. This keeps the roots moist while allowing for air flow to the tops. The roots should have good contact with the soil to ensure they have access to adequate moisture. |
Size Availability
Out of season.
Our main crop of most plants is available starting in late fall.
Additional batches of plugs and quarts are added throughout the year.
Many of our plants are propagated in limited quantities and can sell out quickly when posted, get on the notification list below so you don't miss out. Add your email to be notified as soon as we have them back in stock:
This does NOT subscribe your email to any mailing lists, our system will only send an inventory notification message.
Production notes: in production most years but is unavailable in some due to limited seed/division material or finicky propagation
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Red Panda Nursery