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Japanese cryptomeria Cupressaceae Cryptomeria japonica (L. f.) D. Don Listen to the Latin Print a QR link to this factsheet 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

Japanese cryptomeria leaf image
Japanese cryptomeria flower image
Japanese cryptomeria fruit image
Japanese cryptomeria twig image
Japanese cryptomeria bark image
Japanese cryptomeria form image
Japanese cryptomeria map image

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 2025 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