Other Names:  Taiwan Cedar, Formosan Redwood, Coffin Tree

Description:

A columnar crowned, upright accent tree; foliage is wonderfully fine and blue-green; bark continually peels away to reveal attractive red inner bark; use as a solitary accent in the yard or a large garden

Ornamental Features

Taiwania is primarily valued in the landscape for its rigidly columnar form. It has attractive bluish-green evergreen foliage. The fragrant scale-like sprays of foliage are highly ornamental and remain bluish-green throughout the winter. The peeling brown bark is extremely showy and adds significant winter interest.

Landscape Attributes

Taiwania is a dense evergreen tree with a strong central leader and a narrowly upright and columnar growth habit. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which can make it a great accent feature on this basis alone.

This is a relatively low maintenance tree, and should not require much pruning, except when necessary, such as to remove dieback. It is a good choice for attracting birds to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Taiwania is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Vertical Accent
• Hedges/Screening
• Windbreaks and Shelterbelts

Planting & Growing

Taiwania will grow to be about 70 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 50 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 3 feet from the ground, and should not be planted underneath power lines. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 60 years or more.

This tree should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is particular about its soil conditions, with a strong preference for rich, acidic soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America.