Japanese Blueberry Tree: Evergreen Elegance with Bronze New Growth

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• Family:	Elaeocarpaceae
  Genus:	Elaeocarpus (el-lee-oh-KAR-pus) (Info)
  Species:	decipiens (de-SIP-ee-enz) (Info)

Overview

The Japanese Blueberry Tree (Elaeocarpus decipiens) is a superb, broadleaf evergreen tree native to Japan, China, and Korea. It has gained immense popularity in warm-temperate and subtropical landscapes (USDA Zones 8–10) for its **clean, formal habit, glossy foliage with striking bronze-red new growth, and tolerance of pruning**—making it a top choice for hedges, screens, topiary, and street trees.

Foliage & Seasonal Color

The leaves are **oblong to elliptic, 3–5 inches long, leathery, and glossy dark green**. The standout feature: **new growth emerges in vibrant shades of bronze, copper, and red**, creating a colorful contrast against the mature canopy multiple times per year (especially spring and fall). In cooler winters, older leaves may also take on bronze-red tones before dropping (it is evergreen but sheds some older leaves seasonally).

Flowers, Fruit & Form

Small, urn-shaped, fragrant, creamy-white flowers with fringed petals appear in racemes in late spring/early summer. They are followed by **small, fleshy, olive-like drupes (1/2 inch) that ripen to deep blue-black**—ornamental and bird-attracting. The tree naturally forms a dense, pyramidal to rounded canopy, 20–40 feet tall and 15–30 feet wide, with a straight trunk and smooth, gray-brown bark.

Culture & Uses

Full sun to part shade; prefers moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soil but adapts to clay and alkaline conditions. **Excellent response to shearing**—widely used as a formal hedge, screen, espalier, or topiary standard. Also an excellent street tree (tolerates pollution, compacted soil). Moderate growth rate. Pests: scale, leaf spots (usually minor). A versatile, tidy, year-round evergreen for structure and color in warm-climate gardens.