About
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana is a sizable, upright conifer that typically grows in a conical shape, achieving heights of up to 25 meters. Its branches tend to droop, giving it a distinctive silhouette. The leaves are scale-like, aromatic, and range in color from dark green to glaucous green, measuring between 3 to 5 millimeters in length, arranged in flattened sprays. In the spring, small male cones appear, measuring about 3 to 4 millimeters, displaying a reddish-pink hue, while the larger female cones start off green and transition to brown as they mature.
About the genus
Chamaecyparis consists of evergreen trees that typically exhibit a narrow ovoid or columnar shape. They feature densely branched sprays of diminutive scale-like foliage and produce small, rounded cones. In certain cultivars, the tiny red male cones are particularly noticeable.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil type
- Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, North-facing, West-facing, East-facing
- Exposure
- Exposed, Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H6
Plant details
- Plant type
- Conifers, Trees
- Habit
- Columnar upright
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Height
- Higher than 12 metres
- Spread
- 4-8 metres
- Time to full height
- 20-50 years
- Suggested uses
- Architectural
- Native to
- W North America
- Fragrance
- Foliage
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grows well in moist but well-drained soil. Tolerant of chalk soils but prefers slightly acidic soil
- Pruning
- No pruning required. If used as hedging, trim twice a year to maintain shape
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed and semi-hardwood cuttings
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to aphids, juniper scale and shoot-boring moths
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to honey fungus and Phytophthora root diseases