Cryptomeria japonica

Cryptomeria japonica
'Japanese Red Cedar'
‘Japanese Temple Cedar’

A member of the Cupressaceae family

Native to China and Japan
hardy to zone 6
an evergreen coniferous tree with a graceful habit
pyramidal or conical with a single trunk
dense branching when young, developing more clustered, tiered branching with age
medium texture
Bark is reddish brown to dark gray, fibrous, peeling off in strips
Remove the brown needles that are at the bottom and inside of the trunk and branches as they are the 'old' needles that shed annually.
Make sure you keep it outdoors and in morning sun only during the warmer months.
evergreen foliage develops a distinct bronze to brown color during cold months, especially in windy exposed locations. The uneven bronzing creates unique layers
Always shield from strong winds.


The wood of Japanese Cedar is particularly rot-resistant and easily worked. It is used in buildings, bridges, ships, furniture, utensils and paper manufacture. In Japan, sugi is one of the two most economically important timber species.

it is not a true cedar "Japanese Cedar" is more properly called "Sugi", as in Japan, where the tree originated. Incorrectly called cedars because their heartwood is as aromatic as that of the true cedars, Sugi is the national tree of Japan, and is commonly incorporated into the landscape of temples and shrines.



Great sugi of Kayano

Jōmon Sugi

The tree lined path to the upper Togakushi shrine in Nagano, Japan

Forestry Museum Japan