U.S. Department of Agriculture forest Seroice Research Note SE-299 August 1980

CRYPTOMERIA DOES NOT SURVIVE IN THE UPPER COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA

by Timothy La Farge l

ABSTRACT.-Nine seed sources of Ctyptomerio japonica from the northern portion of its range in Japan were tested in the Upper Coastal Plain of central Georgia. Although these sources varied significantly in their rates of growth in the nursery, only 3 of 180 trees survived after 5 years in the field. Keywords: Cryptomeria japonica, seed source, habitat.

A major disadvantage of the native southern The natural range of cryptomeria is in a re- pines in many areas of the southeast, especially of gion with a climate that has similarities to that of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) and slash pine (P. Georgia. Many areas in that region receive the elliottii Engelm.), is their susceptibility to fusi- same annual rainfall as does central Georgia, but form rust (Cronartium quercuum (Berk.) Miyabe some areas receive as much as 55 inches more per ex Shirai f. sp. fusiforme). Although several pro- year. Mean annual temperature is as much as grams are underway to breed for rust resistance 10°F cooler than in central Georgia, but the ex- within these species, this method takes time. An tremes are not so great (USDA 1941; Williams alternative is to introduce exotic species of forest 1963; Good 1964). It was decided to test this trees which are adapted to the local environments species in central Georgia to determine if it would but are not susceptible to fusiform rust. Kraus survive and perhaps make a suitable forest tree. (1963) investigated 67 species of forest trees by The species’ immunity from fusiform rust would growing them in the Olustee Arboretum in Flor- be an advantage in Georgia. ida, but the primary interest was in naval stores This paper reports the results of a small production, not resistance to rust. provenance test established on the Upper Coastal A horticultural variety of Cryptomeriajapon- Plain of Georgia.* ica (L.F.) Don is occasionally planted as an oma- mental in Georgia with good success. I have seen MATERIALS AND METHODS several of these fast-growing, vigorous trees which have no apparent disease problems. In October 197 1, seed from nine cryptomeria A monotypic genus, cryptomeria (also called sources were received from Dr. Carl E. Ostrom, sugi) is a forest tree native to Japan and China. It then Director of Timber Management Research, has been cultivated for artificial afforestation for USDA Forest Service, Washington, D.C. Source about 400 years (Toda 1974; Walters 1974). The information and climatic data are shown in table wood is soft but strong and durable, and in Japan 1. it is used for boxes, poles, and general construc- A germination test by the USDA Forest tion (Walters 1974). Service National Tree Seed Laboratory indicated

‘La Farge is Plant Geneticist, Intensive Loblolly Pine 2Land and facilities donated by the Georgia Kraft Culture Resources and Development Program, Macon, Company and Georgia Forestry Commission are gratefuliy Georgia 3 1208. acknowledged.

Southeastern Forest Experiment Station - Asheoille, North Carolina Table 1 -Or~gm and cbmattc data “i mnc wed sources of xyptomer~a m Japan and of the lest locanon m Georgra

Preclpltatlon Temperature Closest Length Lot weather North East Mm. M.?X A% % of A% A”& of NUI\W Stat,“” lat.’ long. ElW month month annual total htghest lowest M&X Min MO. record , height May-Aug. i___ 0 I b.pC’f Inches Ye-on cm

SttD SOURCtS OF (‘RYPTOMCRIA

ISOlYlatS” Hakodatr’ 41 48 140 42 109 23 7.0 46 6 37 44 Jan. 6Jarl 92 48 AW 65 20 0 abc’ (Southern (41 6) (130) Feb. Sept 86 Aug 55 Aug 51 -7 Jail Hokkaldo BCIOSS stratt, owanl 2 Aktta2 39 42 140 6 33 4.1 8.3 729 34 44 I eb 9 Feb. 96 48 A% 44 I9.2 abc 3 (60 “11 south (40 301 (141 30) (920) Feb Sept 93 Aug. 60 Aug 56 -I2 I eb 22.0 ah 5 of Owanl) 172bc

Joho,] Akrta* 39 42 140 6 33 41 83 72.9 34 44 beb 9 f eb 96 48 A& 44 194ahc (30 m, south (40 12) (141 0) (1310) Feb. Sept. 93 Aug 60 Aug 56 -12 Frb of Johall)

Yamanokamt Aktta’ 39 42 140 6 33 41 8.3 72.9 34 44 I eb 9 t,eb. 96 48 Aug. 44 21.2 abi (90 m, NE of (39 0) (141 0) (1120) teb. Sept 93 Aug 60 Aug. 56 -I2 Feb. Yamanokaml)

Ohara Miyak”* 39 36 142 0 98 2.6 9.5 56 2 39 53 Feb 11 Jan 99 49 A% 44 134d (5” mt north DW Sept. 93 Aug 59 Aug. 65 I Jan. of Ohara)

Shuamme Kanaeawa4 36 30 136 36 94 61 14.4 99 64 28 July Avg Jan. Avg 101 20 16.9 c 125 m, north May Dec. 75.6 36.8 15 of Shuamme)

Shnuoka Tokyo’ 35 42 139 48 19 1.9 9.2 61 6 39 60 Jan 22 Jan I01 60 Aug. 60 22.4 a (80 m, NE of Jan Sept 92 Aug 65 Aug 72 17 Jan. Shlruoka)

rEST LOCATION IN CtORClA

Houston Co., Hawkmsv’le, 37 18 83 30 245 2.3 5.4 46.1 39 July Avg Jan. Avg 110 40 Georgta Georgia NOV. July 81.6 49.2 -3

‘latttudes, longttudes, and elevations in parentheses are those of the sources themselves. 2Mete”r”l”giCal Office. 1966. Tables of temperature, relative humidity and precipitation for the world (Aua) Part V. London Wt. 0 617 e). Cited after Dr. Ralph A. Read Oetued), Forestry Sciencer Laboratory, Linc”ln, Nebr., personal communication, October 11. 1979. 3Means not followed by the same letter are significantly different at the 0.05 level 4U S. Department of Agrculture (1941).

an average germination of 18.7 percent for all nine No herbicide or other method of vegetation con- lots. The seed were sown in the greenhouse on trol was used before or after planting. This was February 10, 1972, each seed lot to a separate flat. the same procedure we use to establish southern The resulting seedlings were transplanted to pine progeny test plantations. The planting was nursery beds with two replicates on April 12 and arranged in a randomized complete-block design two on April 19. Approximately 2,800 seedlings with four replications and five-tree row plots. Plot were planted in the nursery, but only 329 (12 size and replication number were limited by the percent) of these still survived when their heights small numbers of seedlings (19 and 2 1) remaining were measured on September 25, 1972. in two seed lots (Owani 5 and Yamanokami). A The seedlings were lifted on February 20, commercial loblolly seed lot was used as a 1973, and hand planted (grub-hoe method) on control. February 21 in Houston County, Georgia. The soil in this area belongs to the Greenville- RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Magnolia-Faceville association (Perkins and Heights were measured in the nursery, but Ritchie 1%5). The surface soil layer is a coarse there was little opportunity for anything other loam and is underlain by a clayey subsoil. The than observations of the trees in the field. aspect is easterly, and the slope does not exceed 3 percent. Nursery Phase The, field was plowed and disked before In the nursery, differences in height between planting. The area planted was a portion of a sources were highly significant, as indicated by larger field formerly planted mostly to peanuts. the tabulation of mean squares: Source of Degrees of Mean Georgia. But in the southern and central portions variation freedom squares of Honshu, where the temperature averages are also similar to those in the Upper Coastal Plain of Between sources 8 323.70** Georgia, the rainfall is greatest, sometimes as Within sources 320 30.39 much as 100 inches or more per- year. Growth rhythms could also be different. September and A student-Newman-Keuls multiple range October are usually very dry months in Georgia, test, based on unequal sample sizes (Sokal and whereas in Japan those months are frequently Rohlf 1%9) was applied to the data (table 1). Since quite wet. the heights are not correlated with climatic or These negative results were anticipated by at altitudinal data, the only conclusion that can be least one scientist. Professor Haruyoshi Saho of drawn from the differences in nursery height the University of Tokyo stated that “. . . it is too among sources is that they suggest stand-to-stand dry for Cryptomeria in Georgia.“3 Although the variation. One reason that seed source may not results of this test in central Georgia appear to reflect adaptation of cryptomeria to environ- confirm Professor Saho’s prediction, it is possible mental variables is that for three decades in the that cryptomeria may do well as a forest tree in the late 19th century, public and private landowners mountains of north Georgia and over much of the ignored seed source when establishing new stands Southern Appalachians, at least at the middle and (Toda 1974). Since the first decade ofthis century, lower elevations. In that region the cooler and increasingly careful attention has been given to wetter climate is more like that in the mountains genetic quality. However, the kinds of selection of Japan. and breeding practices may not produce trees that reflect adaptations to their place of origin. Also, the original place of origin may have long since LITERATURE CITED been forgotten. Good, Ronald 1964. The geography of the flowering plants. 518 p. Field Phase Longmans, Greene and Co. Ltd., London. It was originally intended that the trees be Kraus, John F. measured at the end of the 3rd year in the field, at 1%3. The Olustee Arboretum: Performance of 67 which time they were expected to.have resumed species of forest trees. USDA For. Serv. Res. Pap. SE-4,47 p. Southeast. For. Exp. Std., Ashe- growth after recovery from planting shock. How- ville, N.C. ever, they did not survive this long, and, even Perkins, H. F., and F. T. Ritchie after the first growing season, most of the seed- 1%5. Soil associations of Georgia. 1 map. Ga. Agric. lings looked chlorotic and some had already Exp. Stn., Univ. Ga., COIL Agric., in cooperation begun to turn brown. with USDA Soil Conver. Serv. Sokal, Robert R., and F. James Rohlf By the end of the second growing season, 1%9. Biometry. 776 p. W. H. Freeman and Co., San approximately half of the trees had died, and Francisco. those remaining showed very little evidence of Toda, Ryookiti growth. In the following three growing seasons 1974. Notes on the Japanese State Government forest the seedlings continued to decline. They were tree breeding project. In Forest tree breeding in the world, p. 161-169. R. Toda, ed. Ryookiti finally plowed under in January 1978, when only Toda, Pub., Meguro, Tokyo, Japan. three cryptomeria trees remained alive. U.S. Department of Agriculture If seed representing a larger portion of the 1941. Climate and man. 1,248 p. U.S. Dep. Agric., range had been sampled, it is possible that one or Yearb. Agric. 1941. more seed sources might have been included Walters, Gerald A. 1974. Cryptomeria japonica (L. F.) Don. In Seeds of which would have been adapted to the climate in woody plants in the United States. U.S. Dep. central Georgia. However, despite similarities in Agric., Agric. Handb. 450, p. 361-362. U.S. Gov. the ranges of seasonal temperature and precipita- Print. Off., Washington, D.C. tion variations between Japan and Georgia, there Williams, Joseph E., ed. are some differences. At the northern end of 1%3. Prentice-Hall world atlas. 2nd ed. 41 p. Prentice- Honshu, the main island of Japan, where the Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, N.J. annual precipitation is most similar to that in Georgia, the summer and winter temperature ex- tremes are not so great as those in central “Personal communication. February 25, 1972 The Forest Service, U.S. De- partment of Agriculture, is dedi- cated to the principle of multiple use management of the Nation’s forest resources for sustained yields of wood, water, forage, wildlife, and recreation. Through forestry research, cooperation with the States and private forest owners, and management of the National Forests and National Grasslands, it strives-as di- rected by Congress-to provide increasingly greater service to a growing Nation.

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