7 plants for a Japanese garden

There are many plants that will do well in a Japanese garden

Image - Flickr / David Stanley

There are many plants that you can put in a Japanese style garden. Trees, shrubs, ferns, bamboo ... Some of them can (and should) have some part that is very decorative, be it the leaves, the flowers, ... or both. And it is that, although when looking for images of these gardens it is normal to see that the color green predominates, that does not mean that the rest of the colors are excluded from the design.

In fact, apart from playing with different greenish tones, it is highly recommended to look for plants for a Japanese garden that stand out more, because by doing so they will help you guide the visitor to the areas that you consider special. Here you have a small selection.

Acer palmatum (Japanese maple)

Japanese maples are deciduous trees

El Acer palmatum it is one of the protagonists of any Japanese garden. It has palmate leaves, with more or less thin lobes, which can be red, yellow, green, ... In autumn it becomes a spectacle of color, and although it loses its foliage in winter, it has a bearing and elegance that make it one of the most beautiful plants in the world.

There are many, many cultivars, for example:

  • Flavescens: it has green leaves and reaches a maximum height of 4 meters.
  • Heartbeat: it has red leaves and grows between 4 and 6 meters.
  • Inaba shidare: it has red leaves and reaches 3 to 5 meters.
  • Octopus: it has red leaves and grows between 2 and 4 meters.
  • Seyriu: it has green leaves and reaches 4 to 6 meters.

It grows in fertile and slightly acidic soils. Also, the climate must be temperate, and the humidity high. Resists up to -18ºC.

Bamboo vulgaris (common bamboo)

Bambusa vulgaris is a fast growing bamboo

La Bamboo vulgaris is a type of rhizomatous bamboo with very tall stems that reach 15 meters in height and 9 centimeters thick. The leaves are lanceolate and green, quite numerous, something that gives the plant a very interesting appearance, and can be used as a high hedge.

It is not demanding. Put it in a sunny area, at a distance of at least 5 meters from where most of the plants are, and enjoy. Resists up to -18ºC.

Camelia

Camellia is a beautiful flowering shrub

All the camellias, whether it is the Camellia sinensis and Camellia japonica, they are shrubs or evergreen trees that grow between 2 and 11 meters in height. Its leaves are somewhat leathery, dark green, and have a trunk from which branches usually sprout a short distance from the ground. Undoubtedly, the beauty of these plants lies in their flowers: they measure up to 10 centimeters in diameter, and can be single (with a single crown of petals) or double, red, white, pink or bicolor.

Like the Japanese maple, it grows in soils whose pH is between 4 to 6, and that are also rich in organic matter. As for its rusticity, withstand up to -5ºC.

Host of fortune (host)

Hosta fortunei is a rhizomatous plant

Image - Wikimedia / Stan Shebs

La Host of fortune it is a perennial plant that, although it does not exceed 10 centimeters in height, it forms rosettes of spectacular green or variegated leaves. Of course, you have to know that these die in winter, but in spring they will sprout again from the rhizome, and they will do so at a good pace, so it is a highly recommended species to cover the ground.

It will live in shade, or semi-shade, as long as the soil is slightly acidic. Withstands frosts down to -7ºC, but it is important that you do some preventive treatment against snails and slugs, since these are animals that love the leaves of this plant. In this article We tell you what are the remedies that may be useful for that purpose.

Juniperus chinensis (Chinese juniper)

Chinese juniper is a perennial conifer

Image - Wikimedia / Hawk666

El Juniperus chinensis is an evergreen conifer that can grow as a shrub of a few meters, or as a tree up to 20 meters. The adult leaves are scale-shaped, while the young ones are needle-like. Both are part of a very dense crown, which can be green or yellowish depending on the variety and / or cultivar.

It is not very demanding in cultivation, since all it needs is sun and a temperate climate. It easily withstands frosts down to -15ºC.

Prunus serrulata (Japanese cherry)

The Japanese cherry is a deciduous tree

Image - Wikimedia / Myrabella

El Prunus serrulata it is a deciduous tree about 10 meters high. It develops a straight trunk and a wide crown very densely populated with ovate-lanceolate leaves. In spring it blooms, at the same time that the leaves emerge. The flowers are pink or white, and appear in groups.

It grows in temperate climates and fertile soils, which do not get flooded, and where the humidity of the environment is high. He likes the sun, and it is not harmed by frosts up to -18ºC.

strelitzia augusta (bird of paradise flower)

Strelitzia nicolai is an arboreal plant

Image - Wikimedia / Myrabella

La strelitzia augusta is a rhizomatous perennial plant that can reach 10 meters in height. Suckers sprout from its roots from a very young age, so if they are left over time they form very beautiful groups (although I advise removing them if there is not much space in the garden). Its stem is a thin false trunk, about 30 centimeters thick, and the leaves are lanceolate, up to 1 meter long. Produces flowers in summer.

It prefers sunny places and well-drained soils. It is perfect for tropical and subtropical regions, but also tolerates weak frosts down to -2ºC, maybe -3ºC if it is a little protected, for example, by a wall or other plants.

Wisteria (wisteria)

Wisteria is a deciduous shrub

Image - Flickr / williamnyk

All types of Wisteria they will look great in a Japanese garden. These climbing plants have deciduous leaves, green in color, and composed of 13 to 19 leaflets. They reach a height of up to 10 meters, but since they tolerate pruning well, it is easy to control their growth. During spring large clusters of hanging flowers sprout, about 30 centimeters long, and purple or white depending on the variety.

They like temperate climates, where the humidity is high. The soil must be rich, slightly acidic, and light. Otherwise, they support frosts down to -18ºC.

Which of these plants for a Japanese garden did you like it more? Do you know others that can fit in a garden of this style?


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