Cryptomeria japonica Sekkan Sugi - to buy or not to buy?

purpletreacle

Our local garden centre has half a dozen of these in "Bargain Corner" but they are tinged brown instead of the combination of light yellowish green and fresh green of the other newly-arrived stock.  They are still quite young plants, around 50cm tall.  I checked the labels and they are definitely Sekkan Sugi and not the Elegans variety which does have a coppery colour.

Does anyone know if this is normal seasonal colour change? 

My limited experience with conifers is that if they go brown they never recover the original green, even if the plant doesn't actually die.

Thanks.

Fairygirl

Some do get browny tinges in colder weather, but I'm not familiar with all the varieties.

amancalledgeorge

I wonder if they were damaged by the very hot sun from this summer. My Elegans got damaged by it too and is slowly improving. I'd think they'd only reduce them if it was damage and not seasonal colour change.