Japanese Plume Cedar

Cryptomeria japonica Elegans

landscape conifer toprated bonsai oriental

Height: 15' average mature height

Hardiness Zones: 6-9 Find my zone

Aspect: mostly shade to full sun

Size Availability

Out of season.

Our main crop of most plants is available starting in late fall. Additional batches of plugs and quarts are usually added in May.

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'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'

Packing Plants For Shipping

Most of our plants are shipped bare root while they are dormant from late November through April and ship via the U.S. Postal Service. Bamboo plants can be shipped in their containers year-round by UPS.

Bare root plants are soaked and wrapped together in bundles.
ictured are 10x 24 inch tall Coast Redwoods.

The bundled plants are wrapped in paper and labeled by variety.

The bundle is wetted and bagged.

Bundles of plants are secured in long boxes.

Pruning and Plant Sizes

We prune both the tops and the roots of our plants at least once per year while they are growing in our nursery to ensure they develop a strong, dense form. Regular annual pruning goes a long way to ensure a healthy branching structure and this is often a missed step in many nurseries. Pruning a plant back hard after it has been neglected pruning-wise often results in an irregular branch habit or multiple leaders so we prune early and regularly instead. We also prune the roots of our plants while they are dormant which causes them to produce a much more branched structure and helps to elimate tangled masses that hinder future development. Plants that have been root pruned establish themselves much more quickly than root bound plants. Generally, hardwood plants will be pruned in the winter and conifers will be pruned in the summer.

Before shipping plants we prune the tops and roots one last time. Conifers will usually have very little pruning except to balance out long branches. Shrubs are usually pruned to around 1-2 feet tall to encourage low branch development and small to medium sized trees are usually pruned to around 36-40 inches. Pruning trees at this height encourages dominant branches to begin forming around 3 feet from the ground which typically looks the best in most situations. However, if you want a tree to have branching start higher (some city codes require trees to not branch below 4 feet) we have longer boxes available. To request taller trees please contact us at least three days before your ship date. Depending on your location and the shipping routes there may be a fee for oversize package handling (usually about $15 for a 60 inch box).

Tall trees (Oaks, Ginkgo, large Maples, etc.) are pruned to 40 inches to encourage crown development from about 36 inches and up

Small and medium trees (short Maples, Redbuds, Stewartia, etc.) are pruned 10-20 inches above the prune line from last year

Shrubs (Weigela, Hydrangea, Viburnum, etc.) are pruned to 18 inches tall and root pruned one last time

Small plug size

Bamboo Plants Are Shipped In Their Containers

Bamboo 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 Plants

You 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.

When you are ready to plant, remove the trees from the plastic and soak the roots in a bucket of water for 30 seconds. Do not expose the roots to direct sunlight and do not allow them to dry out. When planting large quantities of plants we keep the plants in a black garbage bag to keep all sun and air flow away from the roots and pull each plant as soon as the planting hole is ready. Water the soil well right after planting.

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.

Size Availability