Hiba arborvitae is native to Japan. According to the Great Plant Picks profile for Thujopsis dolabrata (PDF), it also has two other common names, both inspired by the shape of the scale-like leaves: deerhorn cedar and battle axe cedar.

The Gymnosperm Database entry for this monotypic genus, Thujopsis, imparts a story about how the genus should technically have a different name, since it was earlier named Dolophyllum. However, the taxonomists Farjon and Hunt suggest that the old name be kept, since all publications since 1844 have used the name Thujopsis.

Natural history resource link: I thought you might like a peek at one of my inspirations from the nature and science perspective (since I usually mention photographers who inspire me). Natural History at Ragged Chutes contains photographs and notes from a field trip led by my uncle along the Mississippi River of Lanark County, Ontario. If you read through to the last page, you'll get a glimpse of an ethic he instills in others – leave a natural place cleaner than you found it.