Cleyera japonica var. japonica (sakaki)

Japanese name: サカキ （榊）
Scientific name: Cleyera japonica var. japonica

[Overview]
An evergreen shrub to small tree, reaching as much as 10 m tall in large specimens.
Young branches are green.
The winter buds at the tips of young branches are large, curved like a bird's claw, and pointed.
Leaves are simple and alternate in two rows, oblong, 7–10 cm long and 2–4 cm wide, with entire margins or rarely serrations.
The upper surface of the leaf is smooth and glossy.
The petiole and midrib of the leaf are often tinged with red.
Flowers grow singly or in bundles of 2–3 in the leaf axils, hanging downward on long flower stalks.
The flowers are white, 5-petaled, about 1.5 cm across, and become tinged with yellow as they age.
The petals and sepals overlap like roof tiles.
There are many stamens.
The fruit is a spherical berry about 7–8 mm in diameter, ripening black.

[Uses]
There is a long-standing popular belief that it wards off evil and is good for treating illness.
The branches and leaves are used as tamagushi (sacred offering branches) in Shinto rituals and placed on household altars.
For this reason it is often planted at shrines.
Because it is a plant of warm regions, what is sold in Kanto as "sakaki" for household altars is often Hisakaki, used as a substitute.
The wood is used for construction and for utensils.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed or by cuttings.
It dislikes being transplanted.
It is somewhat sensitive to cold and tolerates temperatures down to about –10 °C, but needs protection from cold in areas that get colder than this.
It can be planted in sun to bright shade as long as the soil is well drained and fertile.
Avoid strong afternoon sun and cold winter winds.
For potted plants and plants within 2 years of being planted in the ground, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; for established plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient.
For fertilizer in winter, bury organic fertilizer around the plant.
It tolerates pruning, so it can be trained as a hedge and the like.
Pests and diseases include sooty mold, scale insects and aphids.

[Notes]
There are several theories about the origin of the Japanese name, one being that it was named sakaki (栄木, "thriving tree") because it is evergreen.

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