Scientific name: Chamaecyparis pisifera
Family: CUPRESSACEAE
Common names: “Japanese false cypress” “Sawara cypress”
Plant Type: Evergreen conifer tree or shrub
Conditions:
Zone: 4-8
Light: Full sun best – part shade
Exposure: Sheltered from strong winds
Soil: Average – fertile, humus rich
Moisture: Moist well drained, tolerant of some drought
Aesthetic:
Plant Size: H 50-70 W 10-20′ pyramidal habit, dwarf varieties grow in all sizes
Leaf and Stem shape: Fine textured green needles tinted white beneath
Flower: Small insignificant round cones emerge green
Pruning: Minimal – none, can be lightly sheared, do not cut into mature wood unless tidying damage or to correct a weak union, hedging varieties require trimming twice a year
Maintenance: Zero- low – medium, certain dwarf cultivars can be left alone for years, may require deadwooding, may benefit from fertilizer application in spring
Landscape use: Japanese garden, hedge or screen, lawn specimen
Dwarf cultivars useful in Rock gardens, foundation planting
Propagate: By seed, cultivars by cuttings and grafting
Pests & Disease: Prone to aphids and phytophthora root rot, deer might prune them up
Comments: Native to Japan, dwarf varieties are more common than straight species
Cultivars: ~AGM winners: C. p. ‘Boulevard’ , C. p. ‘Plumosa Compressa’ , C. p. ‘Sungold’ , C. p. ‘Filifera Aurea’
Vancouver Island Grows 