JapaneseCleyeraInformation. Cleyera plants are native to China and Japan, but they have become naturalized throughout the Southern United States. JapaneseCleyera. Department of Biology.General Information (1,2,3). Region of Origin: China and Japan USDA Plants Hardiness Zones: 8-10 Growth Habit: Shrub. Size: 8-10 feet. Picture closeup of Japanese Ternstroemia (Ternstroemia gymnanthera [f. Cleyera gymna.]) stemmed red fruit and leaves. Leaves in winter color. Ornamental Features. JapaneseCleyera has attractive dark green evergreen foliage on a plant with an oval habit of growth. The JapaneseCleyera is an attractive evergreen shrub rarely seen in American gardens. It forms a bush or small, multi-stem tree 10 to 15 feet tall and about 10 feet wide. Cleyera japonica, known as Japanesecleyera, is a broadleaf evergreen shrub or small tree viewed as sacred in Japan’s original Shinto religion. JapaneseCleyera (Ternstroemia gymnanthera) is a broadleaf evergreen shrub with high branches and rounded crown. Additional Information About JapaneseCleyera. JapaneseCleyera is a fast growing shrub and tree that can be grown in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 7A through 10B. Japanese cleyerai, scientific name:Cleyera japonica, in China, Taiwan, Myanmar, Nepal, India, native to Japan and is a moccoc of sacaki genus of evergreen trees. Common name: Sakaki, Cleyera, JapaneseCleyera Family: Pentaphylacaceae Synonymous: Cleyera fortunei Cleyera japonica Distribution and habitat: Cleyera japonica is a... The family name was previously Theaceae, and the genus is named after German botanist and physician Andreas Cleyer. The species name japonica indicates the plant's origin in Japan. Luckily, Japanesecleyera (Cleyera japonica) is not only a great privacy shrub and hedge plant that can thrive in a variety of light levels, but its berries are also a huge hit with birds. Ternstroemia gymnanthera , commonly called Japanese ternstroemia or false Japanesecleyera, is an evergreen shrub native to forests and thickets of eastern and southeastern Asia.