Cleyera Shrubs

Types

• Michael Dirr, American woody plant expert from the University of Georgia, notes that the Japanese cleyera (Cleyera japonica) is "terribly confused with Ternstroemia gymnanthera," which is commonly called cleyera or Japanese ternstroemia. Plant nurseries also misidentify the two species and often incorrectly label the plants, adding to the ambiguity of what really is a cleyera. At one time, a renowned taxonomist classified Ternstroemia gymnanthera as the exact same species as Cleyera japonica, but that was later clarified and reneged. The lingering use of the genus name as a common name exists in both older print and digital literature to perpetuate confusion.

Geography

• Both Japanese cleyera and Japanese ternstroemia hail from eastern Asia. Japanese cleyera is more of a warm temperate species, growing naturally in Japan, Korea and eastern China. It is best suited to gardens in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6b through 9a. Japanese ternstroemia grows across a larger native region, including subtropical lands. It hails from Japan and Korea southward into India and across Southeast Asia into Indonesia. Japanese ternstroemia is grown in USDA zones seven to 10a.

Features

• Japanese cleyera matures 10 to 15 feet tall with glossy dark green leaves. Each leaf blade has an extended pointed tip and branches have buds with a crooked tip. Tiny white flowers are hidden by the leaves, occurring in very early summer. Pea-sized fruit develop later, first red and maturing to black. By comparison, Japanese ternstroemia matures 10 to 20 feet tall with glossy green leaves with a more rounded end. Newly emerging leaves in spring are a vivid red, bronze, yellow or dark purple before maturing green. Its white flowers occur in late spring to early summer. Fruits that follow are egg shaped and speckled red and green, held on a tiny curving stem. Leaves in winter blush slightly bronze-burgundy.

Growing the Shrubs

• Both Japanese cleyera and Japanese ternstroemia share the same cultural needs in the landscape. They grow best in moist, well-drained soils that are rich in organic matter and not alkaline (pH over 7.0). Both tolerate pruning to limit size or shape as hedges and endure summer heat and humidity without concern. Plant either in nearly full sun to partial shade exposures.