Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Coralliformis'
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- kam-ay-SIP-a-ris ob-TOO-sa
- Description
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‘Coralliformis’ hinoki cypress is a needled, evergreen shrub in the Cupressaceae (cypress) family. The parent plant is native to Japan. The genus name comes from the Greek words chamai, which means dwarf, and kyparissos, which means cypress tree.
The plant prefers full sun with moist, well-drained soils. It is not too picky about soil type as long as it's well-drained. It can also tolerate some shade. There are some discrepancies about how tall it gets, but most agree that in 10 years it will grow to about 4 feet and may reach 10 to12 feet at maturity.
The plant is a slow-growing, bushy cultivar with curled, twisted, intertwining reddish branches and unique thread-like, glossy-green foliage. Plant it in a lawn or rock garden as an accent, screen, or foundation planting.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: The plant has some susceptibility to insect pests such as bagworms and diseases such as juniper blight and root rot.
VIDEO Created by Elizabeth Meyer for "Trees, Shrubs and Conifers" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Cultivars / Varieties:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Chamaecyparis
- Species:
- obtusa
- Family:
- Cupressaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Grafting
- Root Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Japan
- Dimensions:
- Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Needled Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Rounded
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Medium
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Available Space To Plant:
- 3 feet-6 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Description:
- No true fruit - female seed-bearing cones are green when immature turning to brown.
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Flowers:
- Flower Description:
- No true flowers - the pollen bearing cones are small and often reddish, growing from the branch tips.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Needled Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Glossy
- Leaf Type:
- Needles
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Description:
- Thread-like glossy green needled foliage
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Red/Burgundy
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Red/Burgundy
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Form:
- Zig Zags
- Stem Description:
- Reddish stems
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Lawn
- Landscape Theme:
- Asian Garden
- Rock Garden
- Design Feature:
- Accent
- Foundation Planting
- Screen/Privacy
