Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Nana'
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- ka-may-sy-PAR-is ob-TOO-sah NA-nah
- Description
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‘Nana’ Hinoki cypress is a true dwarf cultivar. It is an 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.
‘Nana’ grows well in full sun to partial shade and moist, well-drained soil along with a humid atmosphere. It is very slow-growing and after 10 years may only reach 8 inches tall, although it eventually will reach 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide. It does not transplant well.
Dark-green foliage forms twisting, fan-shaped branchlets in dense, tiered layers and have a sweet fragrance when crushed. At maturity, it forms a compact, flattened globe with horizontal branches. Its small size contributes beautifully to small-scale plantings, including border fronts, rock, and container gardens.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Somewhat susceptible to juniper blight, root rot, and insect pests such as bagworms.
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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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Chamaecyparis
- Species:
- obtusa
- Family:
- Cupressaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Root Cutting
- Dimensions:
- Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 4 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
- 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
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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 Color:
- Green
- 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
- White
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Leaf Type:
- Needles
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Leaf Shape:
- Obtuse
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Description:
- Scale-like deep green leaves grow in a dense fan shape
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Small Space
- Landscape Theme:
- Asian Garden
- Rock Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Foundation Planting
