Where you want to create a unique impression, the Japanese umbrella pine with its glossy green needles in umbrella-like formations is a valuable alternative that feels exclusive and different.

Sciadopitys verticillata belongs to the group of trees and woody shrubs that, despite being native to a mild climate, have demonstrated a hardiness for much colder conditions. The Japanese umbrella pine is the only species in the genus – there were others but they are all now extinct and have only been found as fossils – and is not really a pine at all. Today, it grows wild in several different areas in the central part of Honshu and in southern Kyushu. In these areas, it can form uniform stands but usually grows in mixed forests consisting of both coniferous and deciduous trees.

The umbrella pine is a distinctly late successional species that favours cool and sheltered conditions when young. In the wild, it establishes itself in dense forest environments, which it either grows up through over time or remains in the undergrowth below large deciduous trees. Like many late successional conifers, it is described as very slow growing when young, which is also the case in cultivation. During the first 20–30 years, growth is often no more than 5–10 cm per year.

Care must be taken about the context in which it is planted. Establishment is rarely very successful in an open and exposed grassy area, and usually takes a very long time. Instead, nurse trees should be used – not necessarily the usual species but perhaps more conspicuous trees such as Himalayan birch (Betula utilis) or flowering mountain cherry (Prunus sargentii). An alternative is to place Japanese umbrella pine in contexts where a mature screen of other trees and shrubs already create the conditions it the needs during its establishment phase. This means that the species is very useful in older park environments or in existing nature-like plantings where you want to supplement with an interesting middle layer.

In the wild, it can grow to a height of 40–45 m, while in cultivation in Sweden it reaches around 15–20 m. The species develops a very narrow pyramidal growth habit with a narrow, pointed top when young. On older trees, the branches are arched, while younger branches are clearly upright. In dense stands it develops a continuous straight trunk but in open and sunny locations it may split into several main trunks. Depending on the availability of sunlight, the density of the crown varies, and it is densest in semi-bright locations. The needles – 7–12 cm long and 5 mm wide – grow in an umbrella-like formation and in groups of 10 to 40, which gives them a very special appearance. They are light green and their surface looks almost plastic, inviting the observer to make a close inspection.

The tree needs a deep and rich soil that offers a good and even supply of nutrients and moisture. It is very sensitive to drying out before it is fully established. It should not be planted in contexts that stress it too much, and especially not in excessively windy and dry locations. This sensitivity decreases with time, and as it grows older it can be much more exposed. The Japanese umbrella pine is quite sensitive to high pH, which results in chlorotic needles and leads to a suppressed yellowish seedling with a sickly appearance: something to be avoided.

Dr Henrik Sjöman is an Associate Professor at the Swedish University of Agriculture Sciences and a Scientific Curator at Gothenburg Botanic Garden.

Dr Andrew Hirons is a Senior Lecturer in Arboriculture and Urban Forestry at University Centre Myerscough.

This article was taken from Issue 209 Summer 2025 of the ARB Magazine, which is available to view free to members by simply logging in to the website and viewing your profile area.