Cryptomeria Japonica, Japanese Cedar - 0.5 kg Seeds

Japanese Cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) is a tall, fast-growing evergreen conifer with a straight central trunk, reddish-brown fibrous bark and soft, awl-shaped needles arranged in spirals along drooping shoots. Despite its common name it belongs to the cypress family and forms a narrow, conical crown that makes it a striking specimen tree.

The timber is light, fragrant and naturally rot-resistant, valued for joinery, panelling and light construction, while the tree itself is widely planted as an ornamental, avenue and windbreak species. In India it thrives in the cool, moist hill stations of Darjeeling, Sikkim, the eastern Himalayas and parts of the Nilgiris, where it has been raised in plantations for both shelter and timber.

• Family: Cupressaceae
• Native region: Japan and China
• Mature height: 20–40 m
• Growth rate: Fast to moderate

The seeds are tiny and best sown in a seed tray of fine, well-drained mix. A short cold stratification of 3–4 weeks in moist sand improves and synchronises germination. Surface-sow or barely cover the seed, keep the medium consistently moist and lightly shaded, and seedlings emerge in about 21–30 days. Prick out the young plants once they have a few true leaves and grow them on in pots before transplanting to a cool, sheltered site.