Japanese cedar is an evergreen tree native to Japan and widely planted in U.S. gardens and as a screen. Its needles curve inward around the twigs, and its reddish-brown bark peels in long strips.
Appearance
Appearance
A typical landscape tree is cone-shaped to pyramidal and may reach 50–70 ft (15–21 m) tall and 20–30 ft (6–9 m) wide. Its reddish-brown bark peels in long strips.
Growth form
It is a large , though many compact and dwarf cultivars are available.
Leaves
Bright to blue-green needles are about 3/4 in (1.9 cm) long, four-angled, slightly twisted, and curved toward the twig. Some cultivars turn bronze in winter.
Fruit
Mature seed cones are brown, round, and less than 1 in (2.5 cm) across.
Japanese cedar has short, pointed needles curving around the twig and round brown woody cones. Adult Chinese juniper (Juniperus chinensis) usually has flat, scale-like foliage and blue, fleshy berry-like cones.
Why they get mixed up · Both are evergreen cypress-family trees with many cultivated forms.
Hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) has flat, fan-shaped sprays made of tiny scales. Japanese cedar has separate, inward-curving needles around each twig.
Why they get mixed up · Both are cultivated evergreen trees with reddish bark and dense foliage.
Where it lives
Typical habitats
landscape plantings
screens
gardens
Range
Wild populations are native to Japan, while cultivated trees are grown in many temperate parts of the United States.
Preferred conditions
It prefers rich, moist, well-drained acidic soil and grows in full sun, partial shade, or dappled light.
Life cycle
Reproduction
Male and female cones grow on the same tree. Male pollen cones cluster near branch tips, while female cones are round and rosette-like.
Growing it
Care
It grows in 5–9 and is used as a standalone tree, screen, or barrier.
Name and classification
About the name
Despite the common name Japanese cedar, this species is in the cypress family rather than the true cedars (Cedrus). It is also called sugi or Japanese cryptomeria.
Varieties and forms
Tall cultivars such as 'Yoshino' are used for screens or planted on their own.
Compact forms such as 'Globosa Nana' and 'Tenzan' have rounded or cushion-like shapes.
Conservation
IUCN Red List
NTNear Threatened·Could become threatened before long
Status
Planted trees are common, but the remaining natural forests in Japan are small and fragmented after centuries of logging.
Culture and stories
Culture and stories
Its wood has long been valued in Japan for buildings and other woodwork.