About
Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Melody' is a conifer that grows slowly and maintains an upright, narrow form that expands as it matures. Its foliage, soft and feathery, displays a vibrant yellow-green color, complemented by bronze hues in winter. This cultivar typically increases in height by 7 to 15 cm each year, making it an ideal choice for compact gardens, rockeries, or container arrangements.
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, Partial shade
- Soil type
- Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- East-facing, North-facing, South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H6
Plant details
- Plant type
- Conifers, Trees
- Habit
- Bushy, Columnar upright
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Height
- 1.5-2.5 metres
- Spread
- 1.5-2.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 10-20 years
- Suggested uses
- Architectural, City and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden, Rock garden
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow in full sun or light shade in a consistently moist but well drained, fertile soil. Prefers acid or neutral soils but will tolerate chalky soil. See Conifer cultivation
- Pruning
- Regular pruning is not required; however, the removal of damaged branches or shaping can be done from April to the end of August
- Propagation
- Propagate by grafting or by 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