Koyamaki from JAPAN

Koyamaki (Sciadopitys verticillata)

The Koyamaki tree is one of the "Kiso Five Trees", which was prohibited from being cut down in the Edo period for the purpose of forest protection. Kiso Valley, located in Kiso County, Nagano Prefecture, has an abundant supply of high-quality timber species which were used for building castles, ships and civil engineering. The Koyamaki family is monophyletic consisting of only Koyamaki and is currently endemic to Japan. The name is derived from the fact that it is found in Mt.Koya in Wakayama Prefecture, where it is regarded a sacred tree where the spirit of the gods reside. It is an evergreen tree and can reach a height of more than 30 meters and a trunk diameter of up to one meter, and grows wildly in rocky mountainous areas from Fukushima to Miyazaki prefectures. Its fragrance is characterized by a strong green note that makes you sense the earth.