[1] Gray-green to dull dark green clusters of soft needles cover them.

Its attractive foliage and beautiful bark make this one of the top candidates for bonsai.

In fact, today the shimpaku junipers growing in the wild in Japan face extinction due to over collecting.

It is said that the first shimpaku to be collected in the wild came from the Ishizuchi mountain range on Shikoku Island.

Collected shimpakus are known for their deadwood, called jin and shari in the bonsai community.