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Scientific name: Sciadopitys verticillata (Thunberg) P. Siebold & Zuccarini 1842
Synonyms: Pinus verticillata (Thunb.) Siebold, Podocarpus verticillatus (Thunb.) Jacques, Sciadopitys verticillata var. pendula Bean, Sciadopitys verticillata var. variegata Gordon, Taxus verticillata Thunb.
Common names: Japanese umbrella pine, Umbrella pine (English), Koya-maki (Japanese)
Tree to 30-45 m tall, with trunk to 2 m thick, sometimes forking near the base. Bark narrowly ridged and furrowed, reddish brown at first, soon weathering brownish gray to light gray. Crown narrowly conical, with numerous near whorls of slender branches turned up at the tips. Branchlets tan to yellowish brown, deeply grooved between the attached bases of the scale leaves. Scale leaves with the free tip about 1 mm long, the base running down the twig for 5 mm or more. Double needles persisting 2-3 years, in pseudowhorls of 15-35, (4-)8-14 cm long, 2-4(-7) mm wide, dark green above and below except for the 1 mm wide whitish stomatal groove running down the midline beneath, shallowly notched to rounded at the tip, without a distinctly narrowed petiole. Pollen cones spherical to oblong, 5-8 mm long. Seed cones oblong, (5-)8-12 cm long, 4-6 cm thick, the fan-shaped scales about 2.5 cm long and wide. Seeds 8-12 mm long and a little narrower including the wins.
The English common name and the genus and species names all refer to the distinctive arrangement of the double needles, like the spokes on an umbrella, called verticillate in Latin-derived descriptive botanical terminology. Sciadopitys means “umbrella pine” in Greek. Although a well-respected tree in the wild in Japan (the Japanese common name refers to the richly templed Mount Koya, one of its sites of greatest natural abundance), it is not a particularly popular garden subject in its native land.
Japan, from central Honshū (where it is most abundant) to eastern Kyūshū. Forming pure stands or mixed with other conifers on rocky but moist mountain slopes at 200-1,700 m.
Red List Category & Criteria: Near Threatened
Although having suffered a decline mainly in its outlying subpopulations, it is estimated that this has not exceeded 20% of the total population of mature trees. Its extent of occurrence is in excess of 20,000 km² but its area of occupancy could not be estimated for lack of data. It does not meet the criteria under A or B for a threatened category because it is still abundant in its main areas of distribution. If reduction continues into these areas it may in future become threatened.
Locally common in mixed conifer-angiosperm forests, with Chamaecyparis obtusa, Chamaecyparis pisifera, Tsuga sieboldii, Abies firma, Pinus parviflora, and angiosperms such as Aesculus turbinata, Magnolia obovata, Acanthopanax spp., Cercidiphyllum japonicum, and Acer rufinerve. In dense forest usually only ferns, mosses and liverworts grow under the trees, but in some localities shade tolerant shrubs and small trees such as Ilex sugeroki and Skimmia japonica can thrive. Sciadopitys occurs as solitary trees as well as in small 'groves' or more or less pure stands, reflecting events of recruitment and subsequent successional stages in the forest. This conifer is most commonly found in rocky, cool and moist ravines and valleys in mountainous areas, at altitudes between 200 m and 1,700 m a.s.l.
Being a component species in mixed conifer-angiosperm forests where Chamaecyparis obtusa is commonly the dominant species, past logging and subsequent conversion to managed or planted forest, or other land uses, has restricted the occurrence of Sciadopitys in many regions. Most of the remaining stands in Honshu are now only small remnant populations and larger stands in more or less undisturbed forest are confined to Shikoku and Kyushu.
The durable wood of this species is used for construction purposes and to a limited extent for boat building and certain kinds of furniture. The fibrous bark was formerly used for caulking boats (oakum). Its most valuable commercial use is undoubtedly in the horticultural industry, as it is a popular planted tree in Japan and (more limited) in Europe and the USA. Apparently it was not introduced in China, as were a few other Japanese conifers such as Cryptomeria japonica. The Dutch, who were the only Europeans allowed to trade with Japan, brought it to Java early in the nineteenth century; it arrived successfully in England and the Netherlands in 1861. A small number of cultivars with dwarfed growth, variegated foliage and/or pendulous branches has been developed but these are rarely planted. Some of these seem to scarcely differ from the species.
Occurs in many protected areas.
Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Andre AC-3’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Ann Haddow’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Arnow Gold’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Aurea’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Aurea Trompenburg’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Beauty Green’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Betlehem Beehive’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Betlehem Green Mound’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Big Filip’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Brine’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Cesarini’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Collector’s Variegated’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Columnaris’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Compacta’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Copper Tip’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Cream Star’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Cristata A. C.’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Cristata Form’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Cross Compact’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Cynthia Waxman’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Emerald Cushion’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Explosion’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Fascination’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Fastigiata Anderkools’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Fatso’ Sciadopitys verticillata ’Feuerwerk’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Filip’s Golden Broom’ Sciadopitys verticillata ’Filip’s Tiny Treasure’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Firework’ Sciadopitys verticillata ’Foxtail’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Gelbespitze’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Globe’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Gold Star’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Goldammer’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Golden Parasol’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Golden Pendula’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Golden Rush’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Goldie’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Goldmähne’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Green Cushion’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Green Parasol’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Green Spire’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Green Star’ Sciadopitys verticillata ’Grüne Kugel’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Grüne Teppich’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Hängeform’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Helene’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Helene Bergman’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Henksgarden’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Hillier Pendula’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Hindu Goddess’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Hinge’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Janssen’s Variegated’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Jeddeloh Compact’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Jim Cross’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Joe Kosey’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘John Mitsch’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Kenwith’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Knirps’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Koto Ito’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Kugelblitz’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Kupferschirm’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Libo’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Little Filip’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Longneedle’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Marylin Monroe’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Maxi Sternschnuppe’ Sciadopitys verticillata ’Mecki’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Megaschirm’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Mireille’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Mitsch Select’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Moonlight’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Mr. Happy’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Nana Böhlje’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Nettie’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Neu’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Nicky Nadel’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Ossorio Gold’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Papagei’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Pendula’ Sciadopitys verticillata ’Perlenglanz’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Picola’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Pisl’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Pygmy’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Pyramidalis Compacta’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Pyramiden’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘R. W. Knight’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Richard’s Cushion’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Richie’s Cushion’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Ruslyn’s Golden Parasol’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Seedling WL’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Selektion Will’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Shooting Star’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Short Needle’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Short Stuff’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Shorty’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Speerspitze’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Spean’s Variegata Will’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Star Wars’ Sciadopitys verticillata ’Starburst’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Sternschnuppe’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Sternschnuppe II’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Strachan’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Stripes’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Sunburst Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Tsai Cheng’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Tumbleweed’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Turned Needle’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Twister’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Uconn Fastigiate’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Under Observation’ Sciadopitys verticillata ’Variegated’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Variegata Witbond’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Variegated J. R.’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Variegated J. Rizz’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Vert Goldammer’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Wavecrest’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Weeper’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Weston Globe’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Winter Sunset’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Wintergreen’ Sciadopitys verticillata ’Wüstemeyer Form’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Yellow Dream’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Yellow Form’ Sciadopitys verticillata ‘Zaaling W.L’
Copyright © Aljos Farjon, James E. Eckenwalder, IUCN, Conifers Garden. All rights reserved.
