Who Planted the National Tree of Japan?
​Non-native evergreens thrive in an odd locale
A small wooden sign, with jolly purple letters, marks the Prior Ave. Trail.  Along this dirt path, a dozen well-spaced, tall evergreen trees grow.  Cryptomeria japonica or Japanese cedar, the national tree of Japan, is an odd species for the woods of the Herring Run stream valley.  The trees seemed to be planted in a semi-circle to frame out a space that includes old metal play equipment and concrete pads. Were the trees used as edging for a playground area? Were they used in an extension of the tourist camp that was on the ridge above? 
Or could they have been from the family-owned Corse Plant Nursery of the 1850’s that was located nearby? The non-native species was introduced into the U.S. over 160 years ago.
Japanese Cedar are long-lived trees with peeling reddish-brown bark and blue-green needles. They are often used as tall hedging and are resistant to deer damage. Their wood is valued for building.  Some cedar trees in Japan are over 650 years old.  This group of trees is far younger, but they represent one of the few evergreen species in Herring Run Park.
 Sources: 
 Amanda Cunningham,  Baltimore Arborist and Master Gardener, February 2023