I just learned that sugi trees (杉) which are known as Japanese cedars, are actually not cedar trees. This is a misnomer. Sugi trees are in fact cypress trees. So my earlier post on cedars should be read again, substituting "cypress" with "cedar".
This is the tree whose wood is used in the construction of many pieces of Japanese furniture, including the drawers which safeguard many of the beautiful kimonos here. I was told that cypress (perhaps like cedar) keeps away worms and other bugs. However, I can't rectify this idea with the following from Wikipedia: "Cryptomeria [the scientific name for the sugi tree's genus] is used as a food plant by the larvae of some moths of the genus Endoclita."
4 comments:
This DOES NOT look like a tree planted a mere 60-70 years ago!( as per the info in your cedar tree blog). "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark" , or in Japan in this case.
You're right. This is an older one. But the earlier post shows "Japanese cedars". Can you explain your reference to Denmark? Shakespeare, right?
but you said that cedars are realy cyprus..you've confused me ! yes that is Shakespeare....Hamlet..rotten meaning wrong here.
Now, I'm confused. I looked in a JE dictionary, and there are different words for cypress and cedar. Cypress is hinoki (ヒノキ) and cedar is sugi (杉). I checked Wikipedia again, and it seems that cypress is a family of trees of which sugi is a member. Some other trees in the cypress family are also called "cypress trees" hence the confusion. I guess I need a 3rd post to explain everything...
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