Sciadopitys verticillata (Umbrella Pine)

Umbrella pine.A slow-growing,very hardy,monoecious tree of medium size.Dense and conical when young usually with a single trunk,sometimes with several main stems.Bark peeling to reveal the reddish brown new bark.Branches horizontal,bearing lush clusters of rich,glossy green foliage.The apparent single linear leaves,up to13cm long,are,in fact,fused pairs and are arranged in characteristic dense whorls like the spokes of an umbrella,hence the English name.The attractive cones,6-10cm long are greenat first,ripening to brown the second year.Native to Japan.