Cryptomeria fortunei Seeds | Chinese Cedar
LATIN NAME: Cryptomeria fortunei
COMMON NAME: Chinese Cedar
Plant Profile
A distinctive member of its genus, Chinese Cedar (Cryptomeria fortunei) is a handsome, upright, tall, evergreen conifer in the cypress family, native to warm forests of the southern China, while it is treasured for its fine, soft, bluish-green foliage. In cypress family it is soft, bluish-green cedar of the southern forests, a species whose feathery foliage and straight trunk have served both the forest and the garden. Mature plants top out at about Forty metres. Through the flowering season it keeps visiting bees well supplied. Gardeners value it precisely for this blend of qualities.
Science & Biotechnology
Cryptomeria fortunei sits in the cypress family, a group that keeps botanists, horticulturists and plant breeders busy with questions of classification, adaptation and ornamental potential. The Chinese cedar appears in forest-ecology papers of the southern China, and botanists have mapped its place in cypress family and regional flora. The upshot for anyone sowing it is reassurance — cultivated stock of this plant has a long, well-documented track record.
Uses & Benefits
Chinese Cedar brings genuine presence to the garden and earns its keep across the growing season. In warm, moist garden, the Chinese cedar is soft, bluish-green conifer of big garden. Its woody cones feed small creatures, and dense, evergreen crown gives shade and shelter to birds through the year. Useful, fragrant timber has served fine building of region, and tree grows well in moist, well-drained ground of sunny, sheltered spot. Once settled, it thrives on neglect more than on fussing.
Japanese cedar gives fragrant, durable timber, and its pollen is famously allergenic; the leaf oil has folk use in soothing baths.
Growing from Seed
Starting Chinese Cedar from seed is simple and satisfying. Use a loose, well-drained seed compost, sow evenly over the surface and cover lightly, and keep everything evenly moist in bright light. When the young plants are big enough to handle, space them into pots or a nursery row and let them size up before their final move.
Our Take
At around forty metres, it stays at a scale that suits modest gardens. In a sunny, freely drained position it needs little looking after.
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