Cryptomeria can take a lot of shade. May be my favorite conifer.
See the cherry laurel shrub on the left in the photo above? There used to be one more to the right of it, the last in a hedge, until I chopped it down today because it was hiding this gorgeous Cryptomeria. For years my neighbors have had a better view of it until I got the chopping-down urge. Earlier this week I similarly dispatched with a hybrid dogwood that was in front of the cherry laurel waaaay too many plants in a tight spot.
But whats so impressive is how full and perfect the Cryptomeria looks, despite having been in total shade from the big, full cherry laurel. How many conifers could do that? Notice I now have a clear view to some of my neighbors Bottlebrush Buckeyes, too. Love em.
Here are two more views of this awesome tree on the left at just three years old along the north side of a neighbors house, where it gets good light but no direct sun. And on the right is a clos
e-up of one (spotted on a garden tour in D.C.) that shows how pretty and SOFT its needles are. Nothing like the prickliness of this Deodar cedar on the other side of my back garden. I love it, too, but I go out of my way to avoid being stabbed by it.
Notice a pattern here adding conifers to my garden. In addition to these two cedars, Ive planted six Green Giant Arborvitae, five Canadian Hemlocks (and checking for that horrible wooly adelgid thats wiping them out), a Hinoki Cypress, a Dwarf White Pine and and several small Junipers.
Though I will admit to having some failures in this plant group a Hollywood Juniper that the deer destroyed, and a Dwarf Albert Spruce that apparently really hates our climate. At least they were both cheap.
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