The Japanese Cleyera is an evergreen shrub with leathery, green foliage. The leaves flush to a rich red tone annually, with an especially shiny surface. The small, yellowish-white flowers that bloom on the plant are known for their outstanding fragrance. Japanese Cleyera functions as a hedge, container, foundation or poolside plant. It grows to be 6-8 feet in height, but can be kept smaller with pruning. Most gardeners trim this plant into a shrub, but strong training and smart pruning can result in a neat, multi-trunked tree.
Cleyera tolerates full sun but grows best in partial shade, in rich, moist, well-drained, acid soil. The leaves may burn in full sun in winter. The clean, dense, neat, upright growth of Cleyera makes it a good choice as an accent plant as well as a screen or hedge. The pollen of the tree can cause mild allergy symptoms. Several cultivars of Cleyera exist, bred especially for the coloring of their leaves.
Due to the physical structure of the plant, its uses in landscaping can pose unique challenges. Grown as a multi-trunk tree, it can produce a border or division. If used as a street tree, care must be exercised in removing the lower branches, which will obstruct the passage of vehicle traffic. The small stature and low, spreading, branching habit of the tree makes pruning for vehicular clearance difficult unless proper training of the growth pattern of the tree begins early.