Umbrella Pine Sciadopitys verticillata

The umbrella pine is a slow-growing evergreen conifer tree with a variable growth habit and a conical crown. It may reach a height of 30 to 70 feet in cultivation and over 100 feet in its native habitat.  It provides dense shade when young, and its form is spire-like too broadly pyramidal. As it ages, the form is straight with horizontal branches in whorls. The branches become pendulous and spread.  Its texture is medium to coarse and appears stiff and twiggy. This tree is the only member of the Sciadopityaceae family.

The umbrella pine or Japanese umbrella pine is native to Japan. They are typically found in forests at elevations of 1500 to 3200 feet and areas with high rainfall and high humidity.

The genus name, Sciadopitys, is Greek in origin. Skias or skiados means "umbrella," and pitys is translated as "fir" or "pine." The epithet, verticillata, means "whorled" and references the needles of the tree. The common name, umbrella pine, refers to the whorls of leaves that resemble the spokes in an umbrella.

It prefers rich moist, well-drained soil and an open location.  The tree is best grown in slightly acidic soils and full sun. It will grow best in cool summer climates and appreciates shade in the afternoon during very hot summers.  It is best to have this tree sheltered from harsh winter winds. It is not drought or air pollution tolerant. 

The attractive bark is reddish-brown, exfoliates in strips, and is often hidden by foliage. The tree produces both dark green scale-like needles and linear needles. The umbrella-like whorls of needles grow at the ends of the branchlets and branches. Each whorl has about 20 to 30 soft, flat, dark green needles. The fruit is an oval, erect cone that is green the first year and ripens to brown the second year. It has inconspicuous male and female blooms.

The umbrella pine is a much-underused tree in the landscape. Consider this tree as a specimen in your home landscape in rock gardens, foundation plantings, or containers. It may also be used for bonsai.

Season of Interest:

Bark:  Year-round        Foliage:  Year-round        Fruits: Fall  

Quick ID Hints:

• evergreen, conifer, conical crown, up to 25 to 30 feet tall, and 15 to 20 feet wide in cultivation
• reddish-brown bark that exfoliates in strips
• twig stout, initially green with small-scale-like needles that eventually turn reddish brown
• shiny, dark green, three to five-inch, flat needles
• the needles appear in dense whorls of 20 to 30 needles at the ends of the branches
• inconspicuous reddish to yellow-green male flowers, and light green female flowers
• fruits are reddish-brown, oval cones about 2 to 4 inches long with thick scales.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: The umbrella pine has no serious problems with insects or diseases.

VIDEO created by Ryan Contreras for “Landscape Plant Materials I:  Deciduous Hardwoods and Conifers or Landscape Plant Materials II:  Spring Flowering Trees and Shrubs” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University