Overview

Chamaecyparis pisifera 'White Pygmy' is a columnar upright, bushy conifers in the genus Chamaecyparis, part of the Cupressaceae family, with evergreen foliage. Chamaecyparis pisifera 'White Pygmy' grows best in full sun, and tolerates most soils and any pH. Its UK hardiness is rated H6. Suggested uses include architectural, city and courtyard gardens, cottage and informal garden, patio and container plants, low maintenance, flower borders and beds and hedging and screens.

About

Chamaecyparis pisifera 'White Pygmy' is a columnar, upright evergreen conifer with a well-branched habit. Its narrow form is suited to architectural planting, hedging and containers. It prefers full sun and moist but well-drained soils, tolerating chalk, clay, loam or sand and a wide pH range. It is rated H6, meaning very hardy in the UK.

About the genus

Chamaecyparis, common names cypress or false cypress, is a genus of conifers in the cypress family Cupressaceae, native to eastern Asia and to the western and eastern margins of the United States. The name is derived from the Greek khamai (χαμαί), meaning "on the earth", and kuparissos (κυπάρισσος) for "cypress".

Wikipedia contributors, "Chamaecyparis", CC BY-SA 4.0 — Chamaecyparis

In the garden

Chamaecyparis pisifera 'White Pygmy' is a cultivar of Sawara cypress that carries a columnar, upright outline and dense, fine-textured foliage. The plant keeps its evergreen structure through spring and summer, providing year-round screening where a narrow profile is required. Site the tree in full sun on ground that remains moist but drains freely; acceptable soils include chalk, clay, loam and sand, and it tolerates acid, neutral or alkaline pH. It can be placed on south-, west-, east- or north-facing aspects and performs in both exposed and sheltered positions. The cultivar is rated H6, which corresponds to very hardy conditions in the UK. Use this cultivar where vertical structure is needed without a wide footprint: architectural borders, tight city and courtyard gardens, patio containers and narrow hedging or screening. It also works at the back of flower beds where a slim, evergreen column will not crowd herbaceous plants. Its form makes it particularly suitable for small gardens or formal layouts where a consistent upright line is required.

Growing conditions

Best soil and position for Chamaecyparis

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

Chamaecyparis pisifera 'White Pygmy' size, habit and characteristics

Plant type

Conifers, Shrubs

Habit

Columnar upright, Bushy

Foliage

Evergreen

Suggested uses

Architectural, City and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden, Patio and container plants, Low Maintenance, Flower borders and beds, Hedging and screens

Care notes

Pruning and caring for Chamaecyparis pisifera 'White Pygmy'

Propagation

Seed, Semi-hardwood cuttings

Pest resistance

Aphids, Juniper scale, Shoot-boring moths

Disease resistance

Honey fungus, Phytophthora root diseases

Frequently asked questions