Thuja standishii

Japanese species

Cupressaceae › Thuja

Japanese thuja or Japanese arborvitae is in the cypress or Cupressaceae family and is native to Japan on the islands of Honshu and Shikoku. It is a medium-sized evergreen tree, reaching a height of 35 m.

It is an important timber tree in Japan.

  • Branches are horizontal, curved upwards at the ends.
  • Foliage is scale-like, closely pressed to stem, leaves 2–4 mm long , forming flat, downward-arching sprays, matt dark green above, and with narrow, white stomatal wax bands below.
  • Pollen cones are black, 1.5–2 mm long; seed cones are oblong, green, maturing brown, 8–10 mm long, with 10 broadly oval, overlapping scales.
  • Bark is shaggy, deep reddish brown and fibrous.

Contributors

  • Philippe de Spoelberch