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THE GARDEN SAGEA library of living things
Trees & woodland lore · Western North Carolina field companion

Radicans Japanese cedar

Cryptomeria japonica

Leaf closeup. Taxon reference; photograph alone does not establish a named cultivar.
Leaf closeup. Taxon reference; photograph alone does not establish a named cultivar.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeLoz Pycock ↗ · CC-BY-SA 2.0
Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; no diagnostic content altered.

Fast soft-textured screen; protect from desiccating winter wind and use drained soil.

Sun Exposure
Full sun–part shade
MATURE HEIGHT (FT)
30–40
MATURE WIDTH (FT)
15–20
BLOOM SEASON
Spring
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Get to know this plant.

Identification clue 1

Curved awl-shaped leaves

Identification clue 2

Foliage spirals around shoots

Identification clue 3

Rounded cones with pointed scales

Read the leaves

Stiff curved leaves project around the twig rather than forming a flat fan. Note their distinct awl-like shape.

More growing details

Read the bark

Reddish-brown fibrous bark peels in strips.

Fruit & seed

Rounded woody cones have pointed projecting scale tips.

Winter character

Persistent spiral foliage and round cones make winter study possible.

Origin & place

An introduced garden species or horticultural hybrid; study it as part of WNC landscapes rather than assume it belongs to the native mountain flora.

Compare with Eastern red cedar

Mature red cedar usually has overlapping scales and blue fleshy cones, unlike cryptomeria's awls and woody cones.

WNC Notes

Fast soft-textured screen; protect from desiccating winter wind and use drained soil.

Sun Exposure

Full sun–part shade

MATURE HEIGHT (FT)

30–40

MATURE WIDTH (FT)

15–20

BLOOM SEASON

Spring

BLOOM COLOR

Inconspicuous

FALL / WINTER COLOR

Evergreen; bronze winter

Wet-Soil Tolerance

Moderate

Drought Tolerance

High

LOOK CLOSELY

Two views, a closer look.

Place two photographs beside one another. Compare the overall plant with leaves, flowers, or bark when those views are available. Captions identify what each photograph actually shows. Images are not at the same scale; species references may show different cultivars.

Leaf closeup. Taxon reference; photograph alone does not establish a named cultivar.
Leaf closeup. Taxon reference; photograph alone does not establish a named cultivar.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeLoz Pycock ↗ · CC-BY-SA 2.0
Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; no diagnostic content altered.
Bark — species reference; cultivar identity not inferred.
Bark — species reference; cultivar identity not inferred.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeB.navez ↗ · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; full original composition retained.
Seed Cones — species reference; cultivar identity not inferred.
Seed Cones — species reference; cultivar identity not inferred.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeCorrie Barklimore ↗ · CC BY 2.0
Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; full original composition retained.

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