Family Cupressaceae
Originating from Japan, America, E. Asia.

• An architectural, columnar evergreen tree with an ancient looking character.
• Flattened sprays of glossy leaves create a textured crown of foliage.
• Easy to grow in any soil and fully hardy.

A stately and venerable-looking tree, with gnarled and peeling cinnamon-brown bark. With age, their trunks develop a grooved and twisted, knobbly form, resembling a tree from a Tolkien film. Its dark and glossy evergreen foliage is held in flattened sprays, and in early summer, it bears small red male cones at the tips of the leaves, turning to light tan-brown as they mature and disperse clouds of pollen, followed later in the summer by multitudes of rich brown female seed cones.

The ‘bunchy’ distribution of the foliage creates a highly textured appearance and an irregular outline to its columnar form, making a unique architectural statement. They impart an ancient and ethereal character to gardens, especially when planted in pairs or groups. The foliage, shoots, and timber are powerfully aromatic, with a deliciously rich and spicy aroma.

Incense Cedars are not rapid growers like some other conifers, e.g., C. Leylandii or the Mediterranean Cypress. When young, they grow steadily, broadening out after many years, although they can be trimmed to maintain a columnar form or to limit their height, and even clipped to form any desired shape.

Hardy, reliable, and easy to grow in any soil in full sun.

Height and spread after 5 – 6 years 2.5m x 50cm
Semi-mature height and spread after 10 – 15 years 5m x 2.5m
Potential mature height and spread after 50 years + 12m x 8m