Japanese cleyera is a broadleaf evergreen, flowering shrub or small tree native to Asia in the pentaphylax family (Pentaphylacaceae ). Genus name honors Andreas Cleyer a German physician and botanist. The specific epithet indicates the shrub is native to Japan. It will grow 10 to 15 feet tall and 8 to 10 feet wide in fertiler, well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. In hot southern summers, it appreciates afternoon shade, and it can tolerate almost full shade. Once established, they are quite drought-tolerant, but be sure to plant in an area with some protection from strong winds. The plant has fragrant white flowers that open in early summer and are followed by small berries that mature to dark red. The attractive foliage starts out bronze and turns dark green with yellow-green undersides. t Japanese cleyera is often grown in greenhouses for its handsome evergreen foliage, fragrant flowers, and long-lasting red fruits. Use as a hedge or foundation planting and in an Asia, winter or drought-tolerant garden. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems. Leaf spot can be a minor issue.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
Available space
6-feet-12 feet; 12-24 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 10 ft. 0 in. - 12 ft. 0 in. | Width: 8 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Texture
Fine
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Brown/Copper; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Oblong; Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Leathery; Smooth
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Four inch long, leathery leaves are dark green above and yellow-green below and resemble camellias. New leaves are bronze in color turning green. Bluntly pointed at the apex, narrowly wedge-shaped at the base.
Flower color
White
Flower value
Fragrant; Showy
Flower form
Solitary
Flower shape
Bell
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
White flowers appear solitary or in small clusters of 2 to 5 blooms from May to June. Flowers are 1/2" across, fragrant and bell-shaped and hang down. Flowers are borne singly or up to three together in each leaf-axil on the previous year’s wood, or on short spurs.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Black
Fruit type
Berry
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit detail
Pea-sized berry, red ripening to black.
Bark color
Dark Brown
Bark detail
The bark is dark reddish brown and smooth.
Stem color
Gray/Silver
Stem detail
Stems are thin, gray-to-silver twigs when young
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Himalaya to East Asia, northern Indo-China, Philippines
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Summer
Fruit type
Berry
Uses (ethnobotany)
Considered sacred in the Shinto religion in Japan. Wood is used for making utensils (especially combs) and it is commonly planted in gardens, parks, and shrines.
Landscape Use
Landscape theme
Asian Garden; Drought Tolerant Garden; Winter Garden
Design feature
Border; Foundation Planting; Hedge; Screen/Privacy; Small Tree
Garden tags
#privacy #foundation planting #showy flowers #low maintenance #black fruits #fragrant flowers #flowering shrub #leathery leaves #evergreen #fantz #winter interest #flowers late spring #evergreen shrub #wind damage prone #evergreen tree #drought tolerant #small tree #shrub border #bronze #screen #hedge