Whipcord Japanese Cedar
Cryptomeria japonica 'Dacrydioides'
Height: 15 feet
Spread: 15 feet
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 6a
Other Names: Dacrydioides Sugi
Description:
An interesting large shrub or small tree with long pendulous branches and gray-green needle-like leaves that overlap, creating a rope-like or whipcord appearance; quite spectacular when used as a large garden or landscape accent
Ornamental Features
Whipcord Japanese Cedar is a dwarf conifer which is primarily valued in the landscape for its ornamental globe-shaped form. It has attractive grayish green evergreen foliage. The needles are highly ornamental and remain grayish green throughout the winter. The peeling gray bark adds an interesting dimension to the landscape.
Landscape Attributes
Whipcord Japanese Cedar is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a more or less rounded form. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which can make it a great accent feature on this basis alone.
This is a relatively low maintenance shrub. When pruning is necessary, it is recommended to only trim back the new growth of the current season, other than to remove any dieback. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Whipcord Japanese Cedar is recommended for the following landscape applications;
- Accent
- Vertical Accent
- Mass Planting
- Hedges/Screening
Planting & Growing
Whipcord Japanese Cedar will grow to be about 15 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 15 feet. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 60 years or more.
This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is particular about its soil conditions, with a strong preference for rich, acidic soils, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is quite intolerant of urban pollution, therefore inner city or urban streetside plantings are best avoided, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.
