What does cryptomeria mean?
Cryptomeria is the common name for Cryptomeria japonica, a tall evergreen conifer belonging to the cypress family (Cupressaceae) and native to China and Japan, where it is the national tree and is known as sugi. Growing to impressive heights with straight trunks, reddish-brown peeling bark, and dense green foliage, it is extensively cultivated both as a source of timber — valued in Japan for construction and traditional uses — and as an ornamental or avenue tree, famously lining approaches to temples and shrines. Despite its popular name, 'Japanese cedar,' it is not a member of the genus Cedrus. The word derives from Greek roots meaning 'hidden' and 'part,' reflecting features of its reproductive structures. Cryptomeria appears chiefly in botanical, horticultural, and forestry writing, and carries associations of grandeur, longevity, and sacred landscape in Japanese culture.
nounA large evergreen coniferous tree of the cypress family (Cupressaceae), native to Japan and China, with reddish-brown fibrous bark and a conical crown; the sole species, Cryptomeria japonica, is known in Japanese as sugi.
- The tree Cryptomeria japonica, an evergreen conifer native to East Asia, widely planted for timber and ornament.
"Avenues of towering cryptomeria lined the approach to the shrine, some said to be centuries old."
"The temple grounds were shaded by immense cryptomeria trees planted over four hundred years ago."
"Cryptomeria timber, light yet durable, is prized in Japan for building and sake barrels."
The plural applies when referring to multiple individual trees of the genus; in formal botanical writing, plural reference is usually made at genus level ('Cryptomeria') without adding a plural suffix.
"The hillside was reforested with thousands of cryptomerias."
Japan's national tree, the cryptomeria, includes a specimen on Yakushima island estimated to be several thousand years old — and it isn't even a cedar.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cryptomeria
The word cryptomeria comes from New Latin, formed from the Greek elements kryptos, meaning 'hidden,' and meros, meaning 'part' — an allusion to parts of the plant's cones that are concealed or less conspicuous than in related genera. It was established as a genus name in the nineteenth century by Swiss botanist Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius. Related words drawing on the same Greek root kryptos include cryptography and cryptic, which share only the ancient root rather than any botanical connection.
How cryptomeria is actually used
Chiefly used in botanical, horticultural, and forestry contexts rather than everyday speech. The name is capitalized as a genus name when referring formally to the taxon; 'Japanese cedar' is the common English alternative, though the tree is not a true cedar. In Japanese contexts the word 'sugi' is frequently used.
Easily confused with cryptomeria
Cryptomeria is often called 'Japanese cedar' but is not a true cedar (genus Cedrus); it belongs to the cypress family.