sugi

Also known as Japanese Cedar, Japanese Redwood

Sugi forms vast, misty forests across Japan, growing into massive evergreen trees with reddish-brown fibrous bark that peels in long strips. Its spirally arranged, awl-shaped needles turn a bronze hue during cold winters, while small woody cones cluster near the tips of its branches. Deeply revered in Japanese culture, ancient sacred specimens often surround Shinto shrines, though dense modern timber plantations produce heavy pollen clouds each spring.