Japanese cedar comeback
David Sampson
New Zealand Tree
Grower May 2008
Some years ago, Cedar Lodge Nurseries started growing Cryptomeria japonica
Japanese cedar by cutting propagation. However it was not
until early customers started coming back and reporting on the
exceptional performances achieved that we really believed we were on to
something. As a result, we now have a demand for our selected cutting
grown Cryptomeria in the tens
of thousands.
Special clone
Many years ago when the horticultural boom started in Taranaki, people
copied what was planted in the Bay of Plenty and used willows and
Cryptomeria. These seedlings
did not do at all well in Taranaki’s
strong winds. The growth performances were very irregular within the
row, with some trees struggling even to survive. The idea soon
developed that these seedling grown Cryptomeria
were not suitable for
Taranaki conditions.
However, the advent of cutting-grown plants has seen trees all
belonging to one clone from only one parent plant that was selected by
us for its form and vigour. We now have a young adult tree that
bypasses the delicate juvenile stage. The result is that the young tree
grows strongly, withstanding all winds except those severely
salt-laden. This clone we have called Cryptomeria
japonica Egmont. We have trademarked the name Egmont, meaning
that a licence to produce
the clone is required.
The growth rate of the cutting grown Egmont is not far behind that of
the fast growing cypress Leighton Green. We use them extensively as
shelter around our nursery. The trees are evenly shaped with compact
upright form. In fact you can almost put a spirit level across the
tops, they are so even.
Cryptomeria withstands heavy
trimming well and can be kept very narrow.
It filters the wind rather than creating a solid barrier that creates
turbulence on the windward side. Many thousands have been planted,
mainly in Taranaki and beyond over the last five to 10 years, and are
now showing up as impressive shelter lines.
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Demand exceeding supply
This article so far could have been written six years ago. The update
is that the demand for Egmont has exceeded supply each year with
approximately thirty thousand being sold last season, mostly in
Taranaki. Demand over the rest of New Zealand is increasing, as
Egmont’s performance becomes more widely known.
Experience shows that Egmont is very reliable, as it has no diseases or
pests of consequence and soil pathogens do not bother it at all. It is
extremely resistant to wind throw and breakage. It will tolerate damper
soils than many other trees. In fact it requires adequate soil moisture
to grow well so it is not suitable for the drier areas of New Zealand.
The resistance to damage from severe windstorms is a great attribute of
Cryptomeria. This was borne
out firstly by the Bola storm of some years
ago and subsequent reports of localised storms since. Cryptomeria was
still standing virtually undamaged while other varieties of trees
suffered severe damage around it. This is an extremely important
consideration when establishing shelter belts. A toppled tree can
damage valuable crops, cost a lot to clean up and leave a wind funnel
in your shelterbelt, which is hard to fill.
 Most
of the Egmont we have sold is for shelterbelt plantings, but some
small timber plantations have also been planted. This brings up the
subject of timber production. Cryptomeria
is a native of
Japan where it is the main timber-producing tree. I suggest it
could be a worthy alternative to radiata. My experience of growing
trees is mainly in Taranaki and when asked by customers what to grow
for timber other than radiata I find it difficult to recommend anything
other than Cryptomeria.
Our many years of growing conifers in our nursery, have, unfortunately
demonstrated to us that the incidence of cypress canker cannot be
ignored. I cannot in all honesty recommend any of the
cypress varieties for plantation forestry. Egmont was selected as a
shelter tree and its timber quality is unknown. I understand that
timber quality selections with Cryptomeria
clones have been done in
Japan. I believe attention in this direction could be advantageous to
those interested in another option for a timber producing tree that has
proved to grow well in so many locations in New Zealand.
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