Herb: Hiba


Latin name: Thujopsis dolobrata


Synonyms: Thuja dolobrata


Family: Cupressaceae (Cypress Family)



Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Tree

Height:
20 m
(66 feet)

Flowering:
April
to May

Habitat of Hiba:

In sunny rocky places at elevations of 300 - 1700 metres in the mountains of C. and S. Japan.

Other uses of the herb:

The bark is used for match cord, for filling (caulking) between boards on boats etc to prevent water leaking. Wood - soft, durable, elastic. Used for construction, cabinet work, water pipes, ship building etc.

Propagation of Hiba:

Seed - best sown when ripe in the autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed germinates best if given a short cold stratification. It can be sown in a cold frame in late winter. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. The plants make very little growth in their first year. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. If growing large quantities of plants, the seed can be sown in an outdoor seed bed in mid spring. Grow the plants on for two years and then plant them out into their permanent positions in late autumn or early spring. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8cm with a heel, July/August in a shaded frame. Forms roots by the end of September but it should be overwintered in a frame. Cuttings of almost ripe wood.

Cultivation of the herb:

In sunny rocky places at elevations of 300 - 1700 metres in the mountains of C. and S. Japan.

Medicinal use of Hiba:

None known

Known hazards of Thujopsis dolobrata:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.