Japanese cryptomeria Cupressaceae Cryptomeria japonica (L. f.) D. Don Listen to the Latin symbol: CRJA3 Other Fact Sheets
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 form map
Additional Range Information:
Cryptomeria japonica is planted in the USDA hardiness zones shown above and is not known to widely escape cultivaton.
External Links:
USDA Plants Database
Horticulture 		© Copyright 2015, Virginia Tech
Dept. of Forest Resources
and Environmental Conservation,
all rights reserved.
Photos and text by: John Seiler,
Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera,
and John Peterson
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