Cleyera is a favored evergreen shrub, chosen for its year-round visual interest. Its glossy foliage provides a consistent backdrop, and its adaptability allows it to fit into various landscape schemes. This plant offers a refined texture and color, enhancing both formal and informal garden settings.
Understanding Common Cleyera
The plant commonly sold as “Cleyera” is typically Ternstroemia gymnanthera, not Cleyera japonica. This distinction is important for gardeners. Ternstroemia gymnanthera, part of the Pentaphylacaceae family, is popular in horticulture due to its robust nature and evergreen qualities. Knowing the correct botanical name helps gardeners identify the plant and research its specific care requirements.
Popular Cleyera Varieties
One widely recognized variety is ‘Bronze Beauty’, celebrated for its vibrant foliage. New growth emerges with a distinct bronze-red hue, maturing to a deep, lustrous green. This variety typically reaches 10 to 15 feet tall with a 6 to 10 foot spread, forming a dense, upright shrub suitable for hedges or screens.
‘LeAnn’ Cleyera (‘Conthery’) features rich green leaves that develop reddish tints in cooler weather. This cultivar generally grows to a moderate 6 to 10 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide. ‘LeAnn’ offers a refined, dense form, making it an excellent choice for foundation plantings or as an accent shrub.
The ‘Compacta’ variety offers a smaller, more contained growth habit, maturing around 4 to 6 feet tall and equally wide. Its leaves are a consistent deep green, providing uniform texture year-round. ‘Compacta’ is a versatile option for smaller gardens, low hedges, or mass plantings.
‘Mountain Snow’ is a notable cultivar with attractive foliage and upright, somewhat pyramidal growth. This variety can grow to 10 to 15 feet tall and 5 to 7 feet wide, making it a good choice for taller screens or as a specimen plant. Its leaves are a glossy dark green, and the plant maintains a dense structure.
‘Nuccio’s Gem’ offers a dense growth habit with lustrous dark green leaves. This variety typically reaches 8 to 12 feet tall and 5 to 8 feet wide. It is known for its vigor and ability to maintain rich foliage color year-round, adding consistent visual appeal to the landscape.
Selecting the Right Cleyera for Your Landscape
Size
Consider the mature size (height and spread) to align with available space. Selecting a variety that fits the area without excessive pruning promotes a healthier, more aesthetically pleasing plant.
Foliage Color
Foliage color is an important consideration, as different varieties offer unique hues in new growth or cooler seasons. Match the Cleyera’s leaf characteristics with your existing plant palette for a cohesive visual design. For example, ‘Bronze Beauty’ provides a striking contrast with its bronze-red new leaves, while ‘Compacta’ offers a consistent deep green.
Cold Hardiness
Assess the cold hardiness of a specific Cleyera variety to ensure its survival in your climate zone. Some varieties tolerate colder temperatures better than others, which is a key factor for long-term success. Understanding the plant’s hardiness range helps ensure it flourishes year after year.
Intended Use
The intended use of the Cleyera should guide selection. Taller, denser varieties like ‘Bronze Beauty’ or ‘Mountain Snow’ are well-suited for privacy screens or hedges. Conversely, smaller, more contained varieties such as ‘Compacta’ are more appropriate for foundation plantings or smaller garden beds.