Authors: L.  

Botanical Description

Platycladus oriental-is). Ovoid to conical, either as a large bush to 5m, or a small tree to 8m or more. Leaves 2mm long, triangular, smelling of resin when bruised, carried in much flattened frond-like sprays held vertically. Cones ovoid, to 1.5cm long with a few thick scales which have horn-like recurved tips, conspicuously glaucous until ripe. Chine and Korea, much grown and naturalised in Japan, usually on mountain slopes and chffs in the drier areas. T.o. 'Aurea Nana' is globose to ovoid, usually less than 60cm tall with crowded sprays of yellow-green leaves. It is sometimes listed as 'Aurea Densa', 'Aurea Compacta', 'Aurea Globosa', 'Miller's' and 'Millard's Gold', and 'Minima Aurea'. 'Juniperoides' has densely packed juvenile foliage which is grey-green in summer and grey-purple in winter. Rather slow-growing, it develops a rounded outline up to 1m high. 'Minima', syn. 'Minima Glauca' is similar to 'Juniperoides' but smaller and with shorter semi-juvenile leaves. 'Meldensis' starts as a globular bushlet and finishes as a broad column to about 1m in height. The juvenile foliage is matt-green, becoming brownish purple-tinted in frosty winters. 'Rosedahs' is densely ovoid, with juvenile leaves that are bright yellow-green in spring, sea-green in summer and brown purple-flushed in winter. Similar but brighter than 'Meldensis' it can reach 50cm or more in ten years.