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24-468: Jōmon Sugi ( 縄文杉 ) is a large Cryptomeria tree ( yakusugi ) located on Yakushima , a UNESCO World Heritage Site , in Japan . It is the oldest and largest among the old-growth cryptomeria trees on the island, and is estimated to be between 2,170 and 7,200 years old. Other estimates of the tree's age include "at least 5,000 years", "more than 6,000 years", and "up to 7,000 years old". The tree's name

48-559: A height of 25.3 m (83 ft) and a trunk circumference of 16.4 m (54 ft). It has a volume of approximately 300 m (11,000 cu ft), making it the largest conifer in Japan. Tree-ring dating conducted by Japanese scientists on the tree's branches indicated that Jōmon Sugi is at least 2,000 years old. In Remarkable Trees of the World (2002), arborist Thomas Pakenham describes Jōmon Sugi as "a grim titan of

72-487: A tree, rising from the spongy ground more like rock than timber, his vast muscular arms extended above the tangle of young cedars and camphor trees". In 2005, vandals stripped from the tree a piece of bark measuring about 10 cm (4 in) on each side. In April 2009, Jōmon Sugi was partnered with Tāne Mahuta in New Zealand's Waipoua Forest. Cryptomeria Cryptomeria (literally "hidden parts")

96-486: Is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve as part of UNESCO 's Man and the Biosphere Program . Tianmu is known for giant Japanese cedars , waterfalls, Tianmu tea , peaks surrounded by clouds, bamboo shoots , temples and nunneries , and odd-shaped rocks . More than 2,000 species of plants grow on the mountain, including (on West Tianmu) the last surviving truly wild population of Ginkgo trees . Prominent among

120-478: Is a monotypic genus of conifer in the cypress family Cupressaceae . It includes only one species , Cryptomeria japonica ( syn. Cupressus japonica L.f. ). It used to be considered by some to be endemic to Japan, where it is known as Sugi ( 杉 ) . The tree is called Japanese cedar or Japanese redwood in English. It has been extensively introduced and cultivated for wood production on

144-528: Is a mountain in Lin'an County 83.2 kilometers (51.7 mi) west of Hangzhou , Zhejiang , in eastern China . It is made up of two peaks: West Tianmu (1,506 meters or 4,941 feet) and East Tianmu (1,480 meters or 4,860 feet). Twin ponds near the top of the peaks led to the name of the mountain. China's Tianmu Mountain National Nature Reserve lies on the northwest portion of the mountain. It

168-871: Is a large cryptomeria tree located on Yakushima , a UNESCO World Heritage Site , in Japan. It is the oldest and largest among the old-growth cryptomeria trees on the island, and is estimated to be between 2,170 and 7,200 years old. Cryptomeria are often described and referred to in Japanese literature. For instance, cryptomeria forests and their workers, located on the mountains north of Kyoto , are featured in Yasunari Kawabata 's famous book The Old Capital . New World Species : Tianmu Mountain Tianmu Mountain , Mount Tianmu , or Tianmushan ( Chinese : 天目山 ; pinyin : Tiānmù Shān ; lit. 'Heavenly Eyes Mountain')

192-545: Is a major cause of hay fever in Japan . The earliest fossil record of Cryptomeria are descriptions based on vegetative organs of † Cryptomeria kamtschatica of the Late Eocene from Kamchatka , Russia and † Cryptomeria protojaponica and † Cryptomeria sichotensis from the Oligocene of Primorye , Russia. Several fossil leafy shots of † Cryptomeria yunnanensis have been described from Rupelian stage strata of

216-450: Is a reference to the Jōmon period of Japanese prehistory . Jōmon Sugi is located on the north face of Mount Miyanoura , the highest peak on Yakushima, at an elevation of 1,300 m (4,300 ft). Discovery of the tree in 1968 "sparked moves to protect the forests" of Yakushima and gave rise to the island's tourist industry, which today comprises more than half of its economy. Jōmon Sugi

240-608: Is accessible via the Kusugawa Hiking Path (east of Miyanoura) and the Arakawa Trail (starting at the Arakawa Dam), but requires a "four-to-five hour mountain hike" from the nearest road to reach. After the designation of Yakushima as a World Heritage Site in 1993, local officials restricted access to the tree to an observation deck built at a distance of 15 m (49 ft) from the tree. The tree has

264-453: Is called Dhuppi and is favoured for its light wood, extensively used in house building. In Japan, the coppicing method of daisugi (台杉) is sometimes used to harvest logs. In dry air conditions, the initial density of Japanese cedar timber has been determined to be about 300–420 kg/m . It displays a Young's modulus of 8017 MPa, 753 MPa and 275 MPa in the longitudinal, radial and tangential direction in relation to

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288-475: Is frequently thought to be native there. Forms selected for ornament and timber production long ago in China have been described as a distinct variety Cryptomeria japonica var. sinensis (or even a distinct species, Cryptomeria fortunei ), but they do not differ from the full range of variation found in the wild in Japan, and there is no definite evidence the species ever occurred wild in China. Genetic analysis of

312-453: Is much valued. Resin from the tree contains cryptopimaric and phenolic acid . The wood is pleasantly scented, reddish-pink in colour, lightweight but strong, waterproof and resistant to decay. It is favoured in Japan for all types of construction work as well as interior panelling , etc. In Darjeeling district and Sikkim in India, where it is one of the most widely growing trees, C. japonica

336-453: Is superficially similar to the related giant sequoia ( Sequoiadendron giganteum ), from which it can be differentiated by the longer leaves (under 0.5 cm or 1 ⁄ 4  in in the giant sequoia) and smaller cones ( 4–6 cm or 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 – 2 + 1 ⁄ 4  in in the giant sequoia), and the harder bark on the trunk (thick, soft and spongy in giant sequoia). Sugi has been cultivated in China for so long that it

360-488: The Azores . Cryptomeria is a very large evergreen tree , reaching up to 70 m (230 ft) tall and 4 m (13 ft) trunk diameter, with red-brown bark which peels in vertical strips. The leaves are arranged spirally, needle-like, 0.5–1 cm ( 1 ⁄ 4 – 3 ⁄ 8  in) long; and the seed cones globular, 1–2 cm ( 1 ⁄ 2 – 3 ⁄ 4  in) diameter with about 20–40 scales. It

384-582: The Pliocene of Honshu , Japan, Late Pliocene of Osaka , Japan and from the Pleistocene of Kyushu , Japan. Cryptomeria japonica timber is extremely fragrant, weather and insect resistant, soft, and with a low density. The timber is used for the making of staves, tubs, casks, furniture and other indoor applications. Easy to saw and season, it is favoured for light construction, boxes, veneers and plywood. Wood that has been buried turns dark green and

408-539: The Japanese cedars is the "Giant Tree King", named by the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing . In 2009, it measured 26.5 meters (86 ft 11 in) in height, 2.33 meters (7 ft 8 in) in diameter, and 42.9 cubic meters (1,510 cu ft) in volume. The mountain is also home to hundreds of species of birds and animals, including 39 endangered or protected species. These include the clouded leopard and

432-929: The Lühe Basin in Yunnan , China. From the Neogene , Cryptomeria is well represented as seed cones, leafy shoots and wood in the fossil records of Europe and Japan. † Cryptomeria rhenana was described from the early Late Miocene to the Late Miocene of Rhein in Morsbach , Germany, from the Early and Middle Pliocene of Northern Italy, to the Middle Pliocene of Dunarobba, Italy and to the Early Pleistocene of Umbria , Italy. † Cryptomeria anglica

456-547: The instance of a daimyō (feudal lord) who was too poor to donate a stone lantern at the funeral of the shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543–1616) at Nikkō Tōshō-gū , but requested instead to be allowed to plant an avenue of sugi, so that "future visitors might be protected from the heat of the sun". The offer was accepted; the Cedar Avenue of Nikkō , which still exists, is over 65 km (40 mi) long, and "has not its equal in stately grandeur". Jōmon Sugi ( 縄文杉 )

480-422: The most famous Chinese population, on Tianmu Mountain , containing trees estimated to be nearly 1000 years old, supports the hypothesis that the population originates from an introduction. Outside of its native range, Cryptomeria was also introduced to the Azores in the mid 19th century for wood production. It is currently the most cultivated species in the archipelago, occupying over 12,698 hectares, 60% of

504-635: The picture with different shoots). It makes a small, shrubby tree 5–10 m (16–33 ft) tall. There are numerous dwarf cultivars that are widely used in rock gardens and for bonsai, including 'Tansu', 'Koshyi', 'Little Diamond', 'Yokohama' and 'Kilmacurragh.' The following cultivars have gained the Royal Horticultural Society 's Award of Garden Merit (confirmed 2017): Sugi is commonly planted around temples and shrines , with many hugely impressive trees planted centuries ago. Sargent (1894; The Forest Flora of Japan ) recorded

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528-447: The production forest and about 1/5 of the region's total land area. Cryptomeria grows in forests on deep, well-drained soils subject to warm, moist conditions, and it is fast-growing under these conditions. It is intolerant of poor soils and cold, drier climates. It is used as a food plant by the larvae of some moths of the genus Endoclita including E. auratus , E. punctimargo and E. undulifer . Sugi (and hinoki ) pollen

552-452: The wood fibers. Cryptomeria japonica is extensively used in forestry plantations in Japan, China and the Azores islands, and is widely cultivated as an ornamental tree in other temperate areas, including Britain, Europe, North America and eastern Himalaya regions of Nepal and India. The cultivar 'Elegans' is notable for retaining juvenile foliage throughout its life, instead of developing normal adult foliage when one year old (see

576-510: Was described from the Late Miocene of La Cerdana, Spain, to the Late Middle Miocene of Brjánslækur, Iceland and from the Late Miocene to the early Pliocene Brassington Formation of Derbyshire , England. † Cryptomeria miyataensis was described from the Late Miocene of Akita, Japan. Cryptomeria japonica was described from the Late Miocene of Georgia and from the Pliocene of Duab, Abkhazia . It has also been described from

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