Hinoki Cypress

Hinoki Cypress is a cypress species native to central Japan, where it grows in mountain forests on the main islands of Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu. It is a large, long lived tree that can exceed 35 meters in height and live for many centuries, with scale like, blunt tipped foliage arranged in flattened sprays and aromatic, durable, pale wood. The wood has been prized in Japan for over a thousand years for temple and shrine construction, including famous structures such as Horyu-ji, valued for its resistance to decay and its fine, straight grain. Numerous dwarf and ornamental cultivars of Hinoki Cypress have been developed for gardens and bonsai, distinct from the tall forest form of the wild species.