Virginia Tech Dendrology

Japanese cryptomeria Cupressaceae Cryptomeria japonica (L. f.) D. Don Listen to the Latin Link to this fact sheet symbol: CRJA3
Leaf: Evergreen, awl-shaped, spirally arranged; 1/2 to 3/4 inch long, curving inward toward twig; green (may be bronze or brown in winter), persistent for several years.
Flower: Species is monoecious; females round, light green, with loose scales; males light brown, appearing from leaf axils near branch tips; appearing in early spring.
Fruit: Round cone, 1 inch across, numerous sharp pointed scales giving it a spiny appearance; reddish brown.
Twig: Moderately stout and green for several years, drooping.
Bark: Attractive, vertically peeling in strips, reddish brown.
Form: Upright tree with a narrow crown; typically one straight trunk; finer branches drooping; can reach heights of 60 feet.
 Looks like: common Chinafir
leaf flower fruit twig bark form1 map
Additional Range Information: Cryptomeria japonica is planted in the USDA hardiness zones shown above and is not known to widely escape cultivaton. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDA Plants Database - Horticulture Information
All material © 2019 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information