Japanese Cedar                    krip-tow-ME-ri-a ja-PON-i-ka

• Conifer (but not a true cedar), evergreen tree, 50-60 ft (15-18 m), 180 ft (55 m) in the wild, narrow, pyramidal or conical, stout trunk, erect, wide-spreading branches.  Awl-shaped needles spirally arranged, 4 angled, 6-20 mm long, curved inward, green to bluish in summer, bronzy hue in winter, persisting 4-5 years.  Cones are terminal, globular, 1.3-2.5 cm wide, dark brown.
• Sun or partial shade.  Easy to grow.  Prefers rich, deep, light, well-drained, acid soil with ample moisture.  Shelter from high winds.
• Hardy to USDA Zone (5)6     Native to China and Japan.  A very important forestry tree in its habitat.
• Many cultivars have been developed from the species, some 200 are available in Japan, many of which are not in the commercial trade in the U.S.  Many of the cultivars are of reduced size (e.g., dwarf) of various forms, other characteristics include twisted or fascieated branches, folage that is soft and/or variegated, large outspread needles (Krüssmann, 1985).  One of the most common cultivars is ‘Elegans’, Plume Cedar.
• Corvallis: in alley off Van Buren, between 30th and 31st Streets.