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Japanese name
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sawara
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Botanical name
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Chamaecyparis pisifera (Sieb. & Zucc.)
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English name
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Sawara, Sawara false cypress, Sawara cypress
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Tree characteristics
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A conical tree that grows to around 20-30 metres in height and 60cms d.b.h. It can be difficult to distinguish from hinoki, but the branches emerge from the trunk at a somewhat more pendulous angle and the underside of the scales are whiter than hinoki’s. Its bark is reddish-brown and tends to peel in long strips.
The bole tends to be cylindrical with little taper. The sapwood is whitish and heartwood takes on a more creamy appearance. Earlywood and latewood are easily distinguished with the latter tending to be narrow.
A more tolerant tree than hinoki it finds a lot of use as an ornamental and so many different varieties have been developed. Butt rot has been reported in older forest specimens in Japan. The tree has a tendency to self-prune in the forest and this is usually discouraged in ornamental specimens in order to promote a deep, triangular shape.
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Timber characteristics
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A rougher timber than hinoki, it is easily worked as it tends to be lighter and softer. It is relatively resistant to decay in damp conditions.
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End-uses
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It is famous for use as bathroom implements such as bowls but is mainly used in construction, packaging and furniture manufacture.
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Cultivation notes
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It is more shade tolerant than hinoki and prefers well-drained soils. It has moderate drought tolerance.
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Distribution & areas under cultivation
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Sawara’s northern limit is in Iwate prefecture in the north of Honshu and it extends to the northern parts of Kyushu. It if found in forests from the temperate zone to sub-alpine forests.
Forests in the Kiso area of Gifu prefecture and Hida in central Honshu are famous for supplying good quality sawara. It is not a major plantation species.
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Other points
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It is said to have some insecticidal properties if the timber is used in house building and also has a reputation for producing a better internal atmosphere for asthmatics than other species of timber. It is not as scented as hinoki timber.
Sawara was one of the five sacred trees of the Kiso area in central Japan, the others being Chamaecyparis obtusa (hinoki), Thuja standishii, Thujopsis dolabrata and Sciadopitys verticillata.
The name pisifera translates as ‘pea-bearing’ and refers to the relatively small size of the cones that the tree bears.
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