Cleyera japonica

( klay - YER - uh     juh - PON - ih - kuh )

At-A-Glance Information

This species of evergreen shrubs needs partial shade and regular waterings, and is commonly called Japanese Cleyera or Sakaki. Native to Japan and Southeast Asia, this relative of Camellia grows to be around 15 feet tall and just as wide with graceful, spreading, arching branches. Newer leaves are brown-red, and mature to glossy dark green with a red midrib. Small, fragrant white flowers bloom in spring to summer and are followed by small dark red berries. Use Japanese Cleyera to hide foundations, as background foliage or as a hedge or privacy screen.

Cleyera japonica Varietals

The genus Cleyera is named for German botanist and physician Andreas Cleyer, and is included in the family Pentaphylacaeae. They are considered sacred in the Shinto religion, and branches from these shrubs are used in rituals. Cleyera Japonica grows best in zones 4-6, 8, 9, 14-24, and H1. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

​Cleyera japonica 'Tricolor' (Cleyera fortunei)
This species has yellow- and rose- variegated young leaves. This varietal rarely produces flowers.

Caring for and pruning cleyera japonica shrubs

Plant these shrubs in full sun to partial shade (though they can even tolerate full shade conditions), in well-draining soil. Protect from strong winds, as this can damage branches and foliage. Once established, these shrubs are drought-tolerant. During their active growth periods, they can benefit from a feeding with a balanced liquid fertilizer every two weeks. Pruning is not necessary other than to remove damaged or dead branches; the natural habit of these shrubs is beautiful and does not usually need much help.

Propagation

Cleyera japonica can be propagated either by using cuttings or from seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the cutting method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant. To propagate your Japanese Cleyera, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Cleyera japonica by Cutting
  1. Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand.
  2. In late winter or early springtime, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 3-4 inch portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip the leaves off of the lower half. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
  3. Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in warm, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about six to eight weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth on your propagated shrub, you'll know you have roots. 
  4. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new shrub.

Propagating Cleyera japonica by Seed
  1. Keep in mind that the Cleyera japonica plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows.
  2. Harvest your seeds. The seed pods on Japanese Cleyera plants are pretty easy to spot, they're large and dangle from the branches, left behind after flowers have faded. Once they have dried out and begun to split open, you can harvest the seeds inside. Cut them off of the plant, placing them in a paper bag. Harvest as many as you can, and place the paper bag in a dry, cool, dark area. They will begin to split open and release the seeds contained inside. Once they have been released, take them out of the bag and put them in a container so you can work with them.
  3. Soak seeds for 24 hours in lukewarm water, and then put them in an envelope in a sealable container for 90 days in the refrigerator.
  4. Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
  5. Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.

​Cleyera japonica seeds are contained inside seed pods.

Problems and Pests

Japanese Cleyera is relatively pest and disease-free.
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Gallery

Fragrant flowers on Cleyera japonica
New growth on Cleyera japonica
Cleyera japonica berries

Videos

A video about growing Japanese Cleyera in your garden.
Cleyeras as low-maintenance privacy shrubs.

Resources

Wikipedia: Cleyera japonica
Cleyera japonica
Cleyera japonica (Japanese Cleyera)
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Page 254, Cleyera japonica
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or photos you’d like to add to the gallery, please let me know by sending me a message using the button below!
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