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Conifers Garden Clinic Japanese Gardens

Are These Cryptomeria Dragon Prince Healthy?

westes Zone 9b California SF Bay

2 months ago

I received two Dragon Prince Cryptomeria, which is a small globular cedar that should be evergreen. I purchased these from Home Depot and the grower is Southern Living Plants. Do these turn brown in the Winter? Mine are brown at the tips and green underneath. Nothing in the online descriptions mentions a color change, so I want to make sure that what I received are healthy plants.

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Comments (2)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
2 months ago
Cryptomeria often develop bronzing or russeting in winter. It is a condition known as photoinhibition, the result of high light levels combined with low temperatures, and temporarily affects the pigmentation. It is very common with many cultivars of C. japonica.

Provided those bronzed needles are still very soft and flexible, I doubt there is much to worry about. They should green up properly as temperatures warm.
westes Zone 9b California SF Bay thanked gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
westes Zone 9b California SF Bay
Original Author
2 months ago
@gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9) Any problem leaving these outdoors when we are having a heavy rain season here? I assume the bronze coloring signals they were someplace cold, and they are probably going into a much warmer environment here where the nighttime temperatures are rapidly moving towards 50F. I imagine these are well equipped to handle winter conditions, but likely they were in a nursery-controlled environment and now are moving into a warmer place where they will be constantly watered.
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