About
Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Tetragona Aurea' is an upright, bushy conifer that can reach heights of up to 10 meters. Its foliage consists of scale leaves that are golden-yellow to bronze-yellow, arranged in four distinct ranks, creating dense, fan-like clusters.
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, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, North-facing, West-facing, East-facing
- Exposure
- Exposed, Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H7
Plant details
- Plant type
- Conifers, Trees
- Habit
- Bushy
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Height
- 8-12 metres
- Spread
- 2.5-4 metres
- Time to full height
- 20-50 years
- Suggested uses
- Architectural, Cottage and informal garden
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grows well in moist but well-drained soil. Tolerant of chalk soils but prefers slightly acidic soil. Yellow foliage will turn green if grown in shade
- Pruning
- No pruning required, but shaped subjects, including hedges, will need trimming twice a year
- Propagation
- Propagate by grafting 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