Cryptomeria japonica seed

LATIN NAME: Cryptomeria japonica

COMMON NAME: Japanese Cedar, Sugi, Japanese Redwood

The Japanese cedar is a noble and beloved tree of Japan, and it has been planted at the shrines and the forests of the country for a thousand years. It grows as a tall, evergreen conifer, reaching up to fifty metres, with a straight trunk and a conical crown of soft, feathery, blue-green foliage, which turns a bronze colour in winter, and small, rounded cones. It is the only species of the monotypic genus Cryptomeria, and it is considered endemic to Japan, where it is known as sugi, while it has been grown and treasured in Japan for a very long time, its straight-grained wood used for building and for many other purposes.

The Japanese cedar is the only species of the monotypic genus Cryptomeria, which belongs to the cypress family, Cupressaceae. It is considered endemic to Japan, where it is known as sugi, and it is also called the Japanese cedar or Japanese redwood.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The Japanese cedar has a genuine and distinguished place in both forestry and botanical research. It has been studied extensively in forestry science, since it is one of the most important trees of Japan, and researchers have examined its growth, its timber and its management in the vast plantations that cover the hillsides, while its straight-grained, durable wood has been valued for building and for a great many other purposes, making it a subject of real economic importance. The tree has also been studied in botany, since it is the only species of its genus, and researchers have examined its classification, its relationships within the cypress family and its long history of cultivation, while its many cultivated varieties have been studied. The species has also been studied in ecology, since it is a native of the forests of Japan, and its growth and its role in the landscape have been examined. For a tree of such national importance, the Japanese cedar has an exceptionally rich record of research.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

Ecologically, the Japanese cedar is a keystone of the Japanese landscape. Its dense, evergreen crown gives shelter for birds, its cones feed small mammals, and it has been a noble presence at the shrines and the forests of Japan for a thousand years.

Its economic value is enormous. It is one of the most important timber trees of Japan, its straight-grained wood used for building, for the making of barrels and for a great many other purposes, and it is also a beautiful ornamental conifer, grown in gardens and along avenues, while it has been planted in vast forests for the timber of the country. For a grower, the Japanese cedar is a valuable and noble tree, and for a gardener it brings soft, feathery evergreen beauty. The seeds are easy — sow them in a pot of free-draining compost in spring, keep them lightly covered in a sunny, sheltered spot and water them gently, and they’ll sprout within a few weeks, growing on into a graceful, feathery young tree.

Cryptomeria Japonica-Japanese Cedar
A columnar or cylindrical coniferous tree native to Japan,The Japanese Cedar can grow up to 25 meters in height and a spread of around 6 meters.A classic tree to use as a Bonsai subject, many forms can be grown.