Flora of Japan

Sciadopitys verticillata, the kōyamaki or Japanese umbrella-pine, is a unique conifer endemic to Japan. It is the sole living member of the family Sciadopityaceae and genus Sciadopitys, a living fossil with no close relatives. The oldest fossils of Sciadopitys are from the Late Cretaceous of Japan, and the genus was widespread in Laurasia during most of the Cenozoic, especially in Europe until the Pliocene. A European relative of this species may have been the primary source of Baltic amber, according to some studies.

Larix kaempferi, the Japanese larch or karamatsu (唐松 or 落葉松) in Japanese, is a species of larch native to Japan, in the mountains of Chūbu and Kantō regions in central Honshū. It is a medium-sized to large deciduous coniferous tree reaching 20–40 m tall, with a trunk up to 1 m diameter. The crown is broad conic; both the main branches and the side branches are level, the side branches only rarely drooping. The shoots are dimorphic, with growth divided into long shoots (typically 10–50 cm long) and bearing several buds, and short shoots only 1–2 mm long with only a single bud. The leaves are

Chamaecyparis pisifera (Sawara cypress or Sawara Japanese: サワラ, romanized: Sawara) is a species of cypress in the genus Chamaecyparis, native to central and southern Japan, on the islands of Honshū and Kyūshū.

Thujopsis is a genus of conifers in the cypress family (Cupressaceae), the sole member of which is Thujopsis dolabrata. It is endemic to Japan, where it is known as asunaro (あすなろ). It is similar to the closely related genus Thuja (arborvitae), differing in its broader, thicker leaves and cones.

Berberis thunbergii, the Japanese barberry, Thunberg's barberry, or red barberry, is a species of flowering plant in the barberry family Berberidaceae, native to Japan and eastern Asia, though widely naturalized in China and North America, where it has become a problematic invasive in many places, leading to declines in species diversity, increased tick habitat, and soil changes. Growing to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) tall by 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) broad, it is a small deciduous shrub with green leaves turning red in the autumn, brilliant red fruits in autumn and pale yellow flowers in spring.

Magnolia stellata, the star magnolia, is a slow-growing deciduous shrub or small tree native to Japan. It bears large, showy white or pink flowers in early spring, before its leaves open. This species is closely related to the Kobushi magnolia (Magnolia kobus), Magnolia stellata was accepted as a distinct species in the 1998 monograph by Hunt.

Abies veitchii, also known as Veitch's fir or Veitch's silver-fir, is a species of fir native to Japan from the islands of Honshū and Shikoku. It lives in moist soils in cool wet mountain forests at elevations of 1500–2800 m. It is very shade-tolerant when young, but is not long-lived. The name is derived from John Gould Veitch, who saw the common species on Mount Fuji in 1860 and identified it for European botanists.

Abies homolepis, also known as the Nikko fir or urajiro momi in Japanese, is a species of fir native to the mountains of Pacific-side central and southern Honshū and Shikoku, Japan. It grows at altitudes of 700–2,200 m, often in temperate rain forest with high rainfall and cool, humid summers, and heavy winter snowfall.

Aspidistra elatior, the cast-iron-plant or bar-room plant, also known in Japanese as haran or baran (葉蘭) is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to Japan and Taiwan. Tolerant of neglect, it is widely cultivated as a houseplant, but can also be grown outside in shade where temperatures remain above −15 °C (5 °F). It is used as training material for the seika form of ikebana.

Picea alcoquiana is a species of conifer in the family Pinaceae. It is native only to Japan.

Ligustrum ovalifolium, also known as Korean privet, California privet, garden privet, and oval-leaved privet, is a species of flowering plant in the olive family Oleaceae. The species is native to Japan and Korea.

Acer capillipes (Kyushu maple or red snakebark maple; Japanese: ホソエカエデ, romanized: hosoekaede), is a maple in the same taxonomic section as other snakebark maples such as A. pensylvanicum, A. davidii and A. rufinerve. It is native to mountainous regions in Japan, on central and southern Honshū (Fukushima Prefecture southwards), Kyūshū and Shikoku islands, usually growing alongside mountain streams.

Abies mariesii, also known as Maries' fir and アオモリトドマツ (Aomori todomatsu), is a species of fir in the family Pinaceae. It is native to the mountains of central and northern Honshū, Japan. It grows at altitudes of 750–1,900 m in northern Honshū, and 1,800–2,900 m in central Honshū, always in temperate rain forest with high rainfall and cool, humid summers, and very heavy winter snowfall.

Abies firma, the momi fir, is a species of fir native to central and southern Japan, growing at low to moderate altitudes of 50–1200 m. Abies firma is a medium-sized to large evergreen coniferous tree growing to 50 metres (160 ft) tall and 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) in trunk diameter, with a broad conical crown of straight branches rising at an angle of about 20° above horizontal. The bark is scaly grey-brown, with resin blisters on young trees. The shoots are grooved, buff to grey-brown, glabrous or finely pubescent. The leaves ("needles") are flattened, 2–5 centimetres (0.79–1.97 in) long and 2–4

Wisteria floribunda, common name Japanese wisteria (藤, fuji), is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, native to Japan. (Wisteriopsis japonica, synonym Wisteria japonica, is a different species.) Growing to 9 m (30 ft), Wisteria floribunda is a woody, deciduous twining climber. It was first brought from Japan to the United States in the 1830s. It is a common subject for bonsai, along with Wisteria sinensis (Chinese wisteria). Japanese wisteria sports the longest flower racemes of any wisteria; Some of those cultivars can reach 2 m (7 ft) in length. These racemes burst into

Picea polita (syn: Picea torano), the tigertail spruce or harimomi (Japanese:ハリモミ), is a species of coniferous tree in the family Pinaceae. It is native to Japan, occurring on the Pacific Ocean side of central Honshu, as well as Shikoku and Kyushu.

Picea maximowiczii, the Japanese bush spruce, is a species of conifer in the pine family, Pinaceae. It is endemic to Japan; its range is limited to Akaishi Mountains, Okuchichibu Mountains and the Yatsugatake Mountains on Honshu.

Picea koyamae (Koyama's spruce; Japanese: ヤツガタケトウヒ or やつがたけとうひ yatsugatake-touhi) is a rare spruce, endemic to the Akaishi Mountains and Yatsugatake Mountains in central Honshu, Japan. It is an evergreen tree growing to 25 m (82 ft) tall, with a trunk diameter of up to a metre. It grows in small isolated stands in a limited area and the total area of occupation is less than 100 square kilometres (39 sq mi). Trees that are lost to typhoons are normally replaced with other faster-growing species and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed the tree as being "critically

Acer carpinifolium (hornbeam maple; Japanese: チドリノキ Chidorinoki "zigzag tree") is a species of maple native to Japan, on the islands of Honshū, Kyūshū, and Shikoku, where it grows in woodlands and alongside streams in mountainous areas.

Lilium auratum (山百合, yamayuri, literally "mountain lily") is one of the true lilies. It is native to Japan and is sometimes called the golden-rayed lily or the goldband lily.

Fagus crenata, buna (Japanese: ブナ), known as Siebold's beech, or Japanese beech, is a species of deciduous tree in the family Fagaceae. It is a tall dense hardwood that is only native to Japan. The first written record of this tree in the Western world was in 1830 and it was scientifically described in 1851. It is a high canopy tree and is the dominant tree in most of its range; often colocated with Quercus crispula (Japanese oak) and Acer mono (Painted maple). Nuts, seeds, oil, and young leaves can be eaten but care must be exercised due to toxins. It is also used for firewood, furniture,

Acer cissifolium (vine-leafed maple, vineleaf maple, and variations thereof; Japanese: ミツデカエデ, romanized: mitsudekaede) is a maple native to Japan, from southern Hokkaidō south through Honshū and Shikoku to Kyūshū. It is a deciduous small tree or large shrub growing to 5–10 m (rarely 15 m) in height, with smooth grey bark. The young shoots are green, often tinged pink, hairy at first with whitish hairs, becoming grey in the second year. The leaves are trifoliate, with a very slender red petiole up to 10 cm long; the three leaflets are 4–10 cm long and 2–4 cm broad, with 1–2 cm petiolules, and

Thuja standishii (Japanese thuja; Japanese: nezuko, kurobe) is a species of thuja, an evergreen coniferous tree in the cypress family Cupressaceae. It is native to southern Japan, where it occurs on the islands of Honshū and Shikoku. It is a medium-sized tree, reaching 20–35 m tall and with a trunk up to 1 m diameter. The foliage forms in flat sprays with scale-like leaves 2–4 mm long, matte green above, and with narrow white stomatal bands below. The cones are oval, yellow-green ripening red-brown, 6–12 mm long and 4–5 mm broad (opening to 8 mm broad), with 6–10 overlapping scales. It is an

Prunus × subhirtella, the winter-flowering cherry, spring cherry, or rosebud cherry, is the scientific name for the hybrid between Prunus itosakura (edohigan) and Prunus incisa (Mamezakura). It is a small deciduous flowering tree originating in Japan, but unknown in the wild.

Paris japonica (キヌガサソウ, Kinugasasō; canopy plant) is a species of flowering plant in the family Melanthiaceae, native to Japan. It is native to sub-alpine regions of Japan. A slow growing perennial, it flowers in July. The rare, showy white star-like flower is borne above a single whorl of six to eleven stem leaves, which is always the same as the number of petals in the flower. The number of sepals, stamens and carpels follow this same pattern. It prefers cool, humid, shady places.

Fagus japonica, known as the Japanese beech, Japanese blue beech or in Japanese as inubuna ("dog buna") or kurobuna ("black buna"), is a deciduous tree of the beech family Fagaceae.

Carpinus japonica, the Japanese hornbeam, is a hornbeam endemic to Japan but cultivated elsewhere as an ornamental. It is a deciduous tree growing to 12–15 metres (39–49 ft) tall with leaves that are longer and darker than the European hornbeam (Carpinus betulus). The leaves are dark, glossy and slender, with 20-24 pairs of parallel sunken veins; every third tooth is whisker-tipped. The prominent catkins are green turning to brown. This tree has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Acer rufinerve, the grey-budded snake-bark-maple, redvein maple or Honshū maple (Japanese: ウリハダカエデ urihadakaede, "melon-skin maple"), is a species of tree in the snakebark maple group, related to Acer capillipes (Kyushu maple). It is native to mountain forests of Japan, on Honshū, Kyūshū and Shikoku. The Latin and English names rufinerve and "redvein" refer to the reddish down on the veins. The Japanese name urihadakaede (melon-skin) refers to the bark pattern.

Tsuga sieboldii, also called the southern Japanese hemlock, or in Japanese, simply tsuga (栂), is a conifer native to the Japanese islands of Honshū, Kyūshū, Shikoku and Yakushima. In Europe and North America the tree is sometimes used as an ornamental and has been in cultivation since 1861.

Magnolia salicifolia, also known as willow-leafed magnolia or anise magnolia, originates from Japan. It is a small deciduous tree 7.5 m (25 ft) tall, with narrow lanceolate leaves with whitened undersides. The leaves are not as narrow as true willows (Salix), but are narrow compared to other magnolias, giving this tree a finer texture. The 10 cm-wide scented flowers emerge in early spring before the leaves. Flowers have six petals. The leaves and bark are fragrant when crushed. It grows in rocky, granite soil along stream banks. The cultivar 'Wada's Memory', with double white scented flowers,