Japanese Red CedarCryptomeria japonicaHeight: 40' average mature height Zones: 5-8 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.
4 to 8 inches - $4.97 each small plug - 14 to 16 inches tall lightly branched - $9.97 each quart - $12.50 each 2 to 3 feet tall - lightly branched seedling - $25.00 each
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: often not in production; usually due to infrequent seed production, limited propagation material, difficult propagation, or limited demand. May be available in large quantities in some years following seed bumper years. Low demand may cause staggered production, especially for fast-growing species.
We always refer to Japanese Red Cedars as Japan's equivilant to our native Redwood species. Japanese Red Cedars grow very quickly and form very thick trunks on older trees that look very similar to California Redwoods. They are very easy to grow and require almost no maintenance but need space to grow when planted in the ground. The branches are layered into shelves with drooping tips that give young trees a very unique look, especially given their unusual foliage.
Japanese Red Cedar are extremely popular for bonsai and are very easy to work with because they have a large number of dormant buds on their branches that make selective pruning easier. They also produce a thick trunk quickly and their short needles yield fast results.
There are hundreds of varieties of Japanese Red Cedar including some very interesting forms such, as Elegans which grows in large plumes and Golden Promise which features butter-yellow foliage and grows to only a foot or two tall.
Caring for Cryptomeria japonica
Very little pruning or shaping is required, but you can lightly prune plants each year to encourage a specific shape. 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 and a slow release fertilizer compared to plants in poor soil with no fertilizer. 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.
 An ancient Japanese Red Cedar with thick branches
Source: Commons
 A Japanese Red Cedar that looks very similar to many California Coast Redwoods
Source: Commons
 The unusual tropical-looking foliage
Source: Commons
 Young trees growing in their native range
Source: Commons
 A native forest of Japanese Red Cedar
Source: Commons
 A pathway through a forest of Japanese Red Cedar
Source: Commons
 Clumps of dense foliage on large Japanese Red Cedar
Source: Commons
 A widely-branched Japanese Red Cedar
Source: Commons
 An exceptionally tall Japanese Red Cedar
Source: Commons
 Typical small plug size (fall 2019 crop)  Close up of the foliage on a young tree 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.
4 to 8 inches - $4.97 each small plug - 14 to 16 inches tall lightly branched - $9.97 each quart - $12.50 each 2 to 3 feet tall - lightly branched seedling - $25.00 each
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: often not in production; usually due to infrequent seed production, limited propagation material, difficult propagation, or limited demand. May be available in large quantities in some years following seed bumper years. Low demand may cause staggered production, especially for fast-growing species.
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Red Panda Nursery