Known as Elegant Japanese Cedar or Plume Cedar, 'Elegans Aurea' cryptomeria is actually in the same family as cypresses. This variety has feathery green foliage in the spring and summer but turns an almost chartreuse green in the fall and winter. Growing six to ten inches per year, this variety will stand about 12 feet tall and 8 feet wide at the 10-year mark. Big enough to be given a place of honor in a sunny or partially sunny location in the garden, Plume Cedar also makes excellent bonsai.