Japanese Garden Plants, Japanese Plants and Japanese Garden Design are popular in many areas. When creating a Japanese Garden Design plants are an essential element to consider, and we provide a basic Japanese Garden Plant List. However the overall design and specific style of any garden must first be determined and using traditional Japanese Plants is not enough. Plants for a Japanese styled Garden will differ depending on climate and taste, we provide a list of plants to consider for a japanese styled garden.
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Japanese Garden Plants and Japanese Garden Design
 

Japanese Plants



Plants used in a Japanese garden are actually confined to a limited number if you are trying to create a true Japanese style garden. Japanese gardens do not usually feature a wide range of flowering plants, those that do appear are considered and used more for the overall contribution that they make to the garden rather than the flowers themeselves.

Azaleas may be the most widely used Japanese Plants along with Flowering Cherries, Bamboo, Japanese Maples and Moss.

Plants for a Japanese Style Garden

If you are looking at creating a traditional japanese garden design, styled on one of the 5 major styles you may wish to read the article on Japanese Garden Styles.

We provide a guide to plants that are traditionally used in Japanese Gardens

In terms of structural plants the largest plants for a Japanese Garden Design would be the Japanese Maple (Acer Palmatum), 'Sakura' or Flowering Cherry (Prunus serrulata) and Flowering Apricot (Prunus mume). Ginko Bilboa or Maidenhair Tree is also used widely.

Japanese Garden Plant List


This list of plants for a Japanese Garden is designed to provide a basic outline of plants that are suitable for a theme of this nature. The list is not exhaustive but provides a starting point for those looking for a basic planting list



Japanese Maple trees, Flowering Cherry Trees and other large trees are used as structural trees or feature plants (specimen plants) and provide both a focal point and a backdrop, as well as shade.

Moss is an important element in Japanese gardens Kokedera Temple (Moss Garden Temple) has over 20 types of moss as a feature.

Japanese Wisteria (Wisteria floribunda) used as a standard or climber.

Cloud pruned plants such as Taxus, Buxus, Pine, Ilex make great features make a great feature in Japanese Gardens.

Clivia are used widely as a Japanese Garden Plant. They form the basis of under plantings in shady areas, although originally from South Africa the Japanese (and Chinese) have been breeding clivia for centuries, they are a favorite plant both indoors and in the garden.

Azaleas and Rhododendrons are two evergreen shrubs used widely in Japanese Gardens.

Ornamental Grasses such as 'Japanese Forest Grass' or 'Japanese Temple Grass' (Hakonechloa macra)

Herbaceous Peony or Paeonia lactiflora is another favorite.

Bamboo is also used widely in Japanese garden designs, as a screen to divide. Nandina Domestica or 'Heavenly Bamboo' is also used widely (however its not really a bamboo at all)

Other Japanes plants, trees and shrubs to consider for use in a Japanese style Garden Design include:
Abies, Cedrus, Auraucaria Auraucana, Chamaecyparis, Cryptomeria Japonica, Cunninghamia Lanceolata, Juniperus, Metasequoia, Microcachrys, Picea, Pinus
Podocarpus, Sciadopitys Verticillata, Tsuga Canadensis, Thujopsis, Sequoia, Taxus, Carex, Corkia, Contoneaster, Scleranthus and Ulmus


Prunus serrulata
Prunus serrulata

Japanese Temple Grass
Japanese Temple Grass
Hakonechloa macra





Japanese Garden Plants, Japanese Garden Design and Japanese Plants for :
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