# Chamaecyparis obtusa
**Chamaecyparis obtusa** (ヒノキ, 檜), the hinoki cypress or hinoki false cypress, is an evergreen conifer in the cypress family ([Cupressaceae](https://www.edgepedia.org/cupressaceae)) native to Japan, with a variety in Taiwan, valued for its fine timber and widely grown in hundreds of dwarf and compact ornamental cultivars[1](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12483943/) • [2](https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/trees-and-plants/hinoki-cypress/). The [Japanese name](https://www.edgepedia.org/japanese-name) is written with the characters 檜 or 偏柏, and the tree is also called ホンヒ (honhi)[3](https://www.ffpri.go.jp/fsm/business/jumokuen/06_ha/hinoki.html).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | *Chamaecyparis obtusa* (Siebold & Zucc.) Endl., first published in *Syn. Conif.* 63 (1847)[4](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A261845-1/general-information) |
| Native range | Mainland Japan (natural forests from Fukushima Prefecture, 37°10′ N, to Yakushima Island, 30°15′ N) and Taiwan (*C. obtusa* var. *formosana*)[1](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12483943/) |
| Size in cultivation | Species tree 50 to 75 feet high and 10 to 20 feet wide, pyramidal; cultivars range from 1-foot dwarfs to small trees[2](https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/trees-and-plants/hinoki-cypress/) |
| Timber status in Japan | Second largest timber species after *Cryptomeria japonica*: about 3176 thousand m³ (about 6.5% of net timber production) and 2568 thousand ha of plantations (about 6.8% of national land area) in 2024[1](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12483943/) |
| Historic use | Used in house, temple, and shrine construction since at least the Nara era (AD 710); the Hōryūji Temple is among the oldest wooden buildings[1](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12483943/) • [5](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10932367/) |
| Conservation | Rated Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List; EDGE score −3.2, position 542 on the EDGE Gymnosperm list[4](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A261845-1/general-information) |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 4 to 8 in US extension listings; hardy to RHS rating H6 (−20 to −15 °C) in the UK[6](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/chamaecyparis-obtusa/) • [7](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/3623/chamaecyparis-obtusa/details) |
## Description
The species is a spreading tree with branches that droop at the tips, reaching 50 to 75 feet high and 10 to 20 feet wide with a pyramidal form in cultivation; dendrological notes from the [Kii Peninsula](https://www.edgepedia.org/kii-peninsula) describe wild trees of 30 to 40 m, occasionally 50 m[2](https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/trees-and-plants/hinoki-cypress/) • [8](https://eprints.lib.hokudai.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/2115/20808/1/21%282%29_P415-423.pdf). The reddish-brown bark peels and sheds in narrow strips[2](https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/trees-and-plants/hinoki-cypress/).
The foliage is scale-like and arranged in flattened sprays, dark green above with a white X-shaped marking on the underside of each leaf, and aromatic when crushed[2](https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/trees-and-plants/hinoki-cypress/) • [6](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/chamaecyparis-obtusa/). The small, rounded (globose) brown cones sit on short stalks; the male and female flowers are inconspicuous, with female flowers at the branch tips[2](https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/trees-and-plants/hinoki-cypress/). Growth rate is moderate[2](https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/trees-and-plants/hinoki-cypress/).
## Distribution and biogeography
*Chamaecyparis obtusa* is a relict species now restricted to warm, humid areas of [East Asia](https://www.edgepedia.org/east-asia): mainland Japan and [Taiwan](https://www.edgepedia.org/taiwan-landform), where the variety *formosana* grows in the northern and central cloud forests at 1500 to 2500 m elevation and includes trees more than 1000 years old[1](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12483943/). In Japan today, natural forests are scattered in isolated locations from [Fukushima Prefecture](https://www.edgepedia.org/fukushima-prefecture) in the north to Yakushima Island in the south[1](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12483943/).
A genome-wide SNP study found high genetic divergence between mainland Japanese and Taiwanese populations, with FST values of 0.673 to 0.717. The initial divergence was dated to around 1 million years ago by a neighbor-joining tree and to 1.32 Ma (95% confidence interval 0.20 to 2.54 Ma) by a DIYABC analysis, during the early [Pleistocene](https://www.edgepedia.org/pleistocene) when the land bridge connecting mainland Japan and Taiwan collapsed. Mainland Japanese populations showed higher genetic diversity, suggesting frequent gene flow and past population expansions[1](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12483943/).
## Timber and forestry
Hinoki wood is light yet dense, easy to work, dimensionally stable, durable, pale with a lustrous grain, and carries a distinctive fragrance; it has been regarded as a top-grade building material since antiquity[3](https://www.ffpri.go.jp/fsm/business/jumokuen/06_ha/hinoki.html). In Japan it has been used for house construction and for temples and shrines since at least the Nara era (AD 710)[1](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12483943/). Japan formerly imported large, high-quality logs from Taiwan's natural forests for temple and shrine building, until the Taiwanese government prohibited logging of natural forests in 1990[1](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12483943/).
**Plantation forestry.** Hinoki is one of Japan's most important forestry species, planted extensively across Honshu and areas south, often in pure stands established on ground whose climax vegetation is broad-leaved forest[3](https://www.ffpri.go.jp/fsm/business/jumokuen/06_ha/hinoki.html) • [9](https://www.jircas.go.jp/sites/default/files/publication/tars/tars12-_185-198.pdf). Both its timber output and plantation area rank second in Japan after sugi (*Cryptomeria japonica*)[1](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12483943/). A study of six roughly 100-year-old hinoki plantations found that the stand unthinned for about 60 years had the highest density (843 trees per hectare) and stem volume (1298.9 m³ per hectare), with density and volume decreasing as thinning frequency increased; the density of higher-quality trees was constant at 100 to 150 trees per hectare across all stands regardless of thinning history[10](https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jjfs/91/1/91_1_9/_article/-char/en).
[Natural regeneration](https://www.edgepedia.org/natural-regeneration) is scarce: a 1978 study in the Kinki and Chugoku districts noted that few natural hinoki forests remain and few naturally regenerated stands exist in Japan[11](https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/forestresearch/50/0/50_44/_article/-char/en). Seedling transfer within Japan is regulated under the Forestry Seeds and Seedlings Act (Act No. 89 of 1970), defined mainly by climate gradients in temperature and precipitation[1](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12483943/).
## Cultural and religious significance
Hinoki is considered sacred in the Shinto faith[12](https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/chamaecyparis-obtusa), and hinoki forests are integral to shinrin-yoku (forest bathing); recent studies report that time in hinoki forest environments can improve mood, reduce depressive symptoms, and increase serotonin and oxytocin levels[13](https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/bpbreports/8/6/8_171/_html/-char/en). In Korea the wood is used for fragrance cubes, moisturizers, and cushions[5](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10932367/).
## Essential oil and biological activity
The essential oil is the species' most significant phytochemical raw material[5](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10932367/). Early analyses of leaf oil found elemol (its first recorded isolation from this species) and eight monoterpenes, while wood oil contained γ-cadinene, calamenene, two cadinols, and seven monoterpenes[14](https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/cpb1958/12/9/12_9_991/_article/-char/en). A study of Korean leaf oil (yield 1.57% of fresh weight) found α-terpinyl acetate, sabinene, isobornyl acetate, and limonene as major components, and reported strong antibacterial activity against [Gram-positive bacteria](https://www.edgepedia.org/gram-positive-bacteria) including *Bacillus cereus*, *Listeria monocytogenes*, *Streptococcus pyogenes*, and *S. mutans*, plus antifungal activity against *Pityrosporum ovale* and *Saccharomyces cerevisiae*[15](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0367326X06002760). Oil from branches, leaves, and twigs is used commercially as an additive in soap, toothpaste, and cosmetics[16](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10574680/). Wood-wool from hinoki used in tatami mats has been shown to reduce house dust mite (*Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus*) activity for about one year[5](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10932367/).
## Ornamental cultivation
Introduced to Britain by the plant collector John Gould Veitch in 1861, the species is long cultivated in Japan for both beauty and timber[17](https://www.treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/chamaecyparis/chamaecyparis-obtusa/). It grows best in full sun to part shade in a sheltered position away from high winds, in moist, fertile, well-drained soil; it tolerates most soil pH but not wet, poorly drained ground, and can be difficult to transplant[2](https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/trees-and-plants/hinoki-cypress/). Root rots may occur in overly wet conditions, but the species otherwise has no serious problems; in the UK it may be susceptible to aphids, juniper scale, shoot-boring moths, honey fungus, and *Phytophthora* root diseases[2](https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/trees-and-plants/hinoki-cypress/) • [7](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/3623/chamaecyparis-obtusa/details).
Named cultivars vary greatly in size and form. 'Nana' reaches only 1 to 2 feet high and wide with an irregularly rounded habit; 'Nana Gracilis' grows 4 to 5 feet high and 3 to 4 feet wide, becoming upright with age; 'Compacta' reaches 6 to 8 feet high and 4 to 6 feet wide; and 'Blue Feathers' reaches 12 feet high and 4 feet wide with blue-green needles and a twisted growth habit[2](https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/trees-and-plants/hinoki-cypress/). Other noted varieties include 'Crippsii', 'Tetragona', 'Kosteri', 'Flabelliformis', and 'Pygmaea'[5](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10932367/). Propagation is by seed and semi-hardwood cuttings, and hedging plants are trimmed twice a year[7](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/3623/chamaecyparis-obtusa/details).
## Conservation
Despite its economic importance, the wild form is rated Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, with an EDGE score of −3.2 placing it 542nd on the EDGE Gymnosperm list and an Evolutionary Distinctiveness of 10.18, ranked 182[4](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A261845-1/general-information). Genetic study of the remaining natural forest populations is considered crucial for the species' conservation and management[1](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12483943/).
## References
1. [The Historical Biogeography of Divergence in the Relict Cypress *Chamaecyparis obtusa*, and the Implications for Conservation and Management in East Asia, PMC](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12483943/)
2. [Hinoki-cypress, The Morton Arboretum](https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/trees-and-plants/hinoki-cypress/)
3. [ヒノキ, 森林総合研究所 関西支所](https://www.ffpri.go.jp/fsm/business/jumokuen/06_ha/hinoki.html)
4. [*Chamaecyparis obtusa* (Siebold & Zucc.) Endl., Plants of the World Online, Kew Science](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A261845-1/general-information)
5. [The Precious Potential of the Sacred Tree *Chamaecyparis obtusa* as a Source of Secondary Metabolites, PMC](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10932367/)
6. [*Chamaecyparis obtusa*, North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/chamaecyparis-obtusa/)
7. [*Chamaecyparis obtusa*, hinoki cypress, RHS](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/3623/chamaecyparis-obtusa/details)
8. [Dendrological Notes on Cupressaceae of the Kii Peninsula, Hokkaido University](https://eprints.lib.hokudai.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/2115/20808/1/21%282%29_P415-423.pdf)
9. [Tending Techniques of Forestry in Japan, JIRCAS](https://www.jircas.go.jp/sites/default/files/publication/tars/tars12-_185-198.pdf)
10. [Influence of Thinning History on the Stand Structure of Old-aged Plantations of *Chamaecyparis obtusa*, Journal of the Japanese Forest Society](https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jjfs/91/1/91_1_9/_article/-char/en)
11. [Studies on Natural Regeneration (IV), Japanese Forest Research](https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/forestresearch/50/0/50_44/_article/-char/en)
12. [*Chamaecyparis obtusa*, Oregon State University Landscape Plants](https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/chamaecyparis-obtusa)
13. [Comparative Analysis of Volatile Components in Commercial Japanese Hinoki Cypress Essential Oils, BPB Reports](https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/bpbreports/8/6/8_171/_html/-char/en)
14. [Chemical Constituents of Essential Oil of *Chamaecyparis obtusa*, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Bulletin](https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/cpb1958/12/9/12_9_991/_article/-char/en)
15. [Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of *Chamaecyparis obtusa* leaf essential oil, ScienceDirect](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0367326X06002760)
16. [Development of Pinaceae and Cupressaceae Essential Oils from Forest Waste in South Korea, PMC](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10574680/)
17. [*Chamaecyparis obtusa*, Trees and Shrubs Online](https://www.treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/chamaecyparis/chamaecyparis-obtusa/)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Life and health › Plants and algae › Seed plants › Conifers and other gymnosperms › Conifers › Cupressaceae — cypresses, junipers, cedars, and redwoods › Cypresses (Cupressus and allies) › False cypresses (Chamaecyparis)*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license