Chamaecyparis obtusa
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- kam-ee-SIP-a-riss ob-TOO-suh
- Description
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Hinoki Cypress is a large evergreen tree from Japan with a broad, softly pyramidal shape with spreading, horizontal branches. It prefers moist fertile loams but is adaptable to other soils as long as they are well-drained. It does best in full sun but can tolerate some shade and needs protection from the wind.
The flowers are insignificant and the cones are small and orange-brown. This tree is rarely used in landscapes due to the size in contrast, in the wild the width can easily be 120' wide however, there are many cultivars in smaller sizes better suited to home use.
It have been noted there are numerous variations in cutting rootability among the several cultivars of this species.
Seed: Cone
Quick ID Hints:
- Dwarf shrub, sprays fan-shaped, flat
- Leaves all scale-like
- Scales glaucous along edges, below appear as X or Y
Slow growing, difficult to transplant, moist, well drained soil preferred, sunny area preferred.
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 landscapes:
- Garden Treasures Mountain Ridge Top Garden - East Lawn and Lower Drive Border Sun and Shade Demo Garden, Buncombe County Mountain Ridge Top Garden - East Lawn and Lower Drive Border Sun and Shade Demo Garden, Buncombe County
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Blue Feathers'
- 'Butter Ball'
- 'Chirimen'
- 'Fernspray'
- 'Fernspray Gold'
- 'Fillicoides'
- Golden Pillar
- 'Gracilis'
- 'Gracilis Aurea'
- ‘Hirabi’
- ‘Limerick’
- 'Lucas'
- 'Luteaauea'
- 'Mariesii'
- 'Pygmaea Aurescens'
- 'Snowflake'
- 'Spirited'
- 'Sunspray'
Bright, creamy golden swirled sprays of foliage. Mature heigh 5’ - 'Tempelhof'
Delicate sprays of soft gold to green foliage 'Coralliformis'
Curled, twisted, intertwining reddish branches 'Crippssii'
Pendant sprays of bright, golden-yellow foliage 'Ericoides'
New foliage is blue-green which matures to glossy light green
Large, bright green, horizontal fans of lush foliage
Dwarf shrub; sprays are fan-shaped, dense, multibranched segments, flat-planed 'Nana Gracilis'
Graceful dark green needles 'Nana Lutea'
Golden-yellow fan-shaped foliage in overlapping layers with green interior foliage
Irregular, narrow upright form
Leaves resemble fern fronds 'Verdoni'
Fans of yellow-green foliage that hold color well - 'Blue Feathers'
- 'Blue Feathers', 'Butter Ball', 'Chirimen', 'Confucius', 'Coralliformis', 'Crippssii', 'Ericoides', 'Fernspray', 'Fernspray Gold', 'Fillicoides', Golden Pillar, 'Gracilis', 'Gracilis Aurea', ‘Hirabi’, 'Kosteri', ‘Limerick’, 'Lucas', 'Luteaauea', 'Mariesii', 'Nana', 'Nana Gracilis', 'Nana Lutea', 'Pygmaea Aurescens', 'Reis Dwarf', 'Snowflake', 'Spirited', 'Sunspray', 'Tempelhof', 'Tetragona Aurea', 'Verdoni'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Blue Feathers'
- 'Butter Ball'
- 'Chirimen'
- 'Fernspray'
- 'Fernspray Gold'
- 'Fillicoides'
- Golden Pillar
- 'Gracilis'
- 'Gracilis Aurea'
- ‘Hirabi’
- ‘Limerick’
- 'Lucas'
- 'Luteaauea'
- 'Mariesii'
- 'Pygmaea Aurescens'
- 'Snowflake'
- 'Spirited'
- 'Sunspray'
Bright, creamy golden swirled sprays of foliage. Mature heigh 5’ - 'Tempelhof'
Delicate sprays of soft gold to green foliage 'Coralliformis'
Curled, twisted, intertwining reddish branches 'Crippssii'
Pendant sprays of bright, golden-yellow foliage 'Ericoides'
New foliage is blue-green which matures to glossy light green
Large, bright green, horizontal fans of lush foliage
Dwarf shrub; sprays are fan-shaped, dense, multibranched segments, flat-planed 'Nana Gracilis'
Graceful dark green needles 'Nana Lutea'
Golden-yellow fan-shaped foliage in overlapping layers with green interior foliage
Irregular, narrow upright form
Leaves resemble fern fronds 'Verdoni'
Fans of yellow-green foliage that hold color well - 'Blue Feathers'
- 'Blue Feathers', 'Butter Ball', 'Chirimen', 'Confucius', 'Coralliformis', 'Crippssii', 'Ericoides', 'Fernspray', 'Fernspray Gold', 'Fillicoides', Golden Pillar, 'Gracilis', 'Gracilis Aurea', ‘Hirabi’, 'Kosteri', ‘Limerick’, 'Lucas', 'Luteaauea', 'Mariesii', 'Nana', 'Nana Gracilis', 'Nana Lutea', 'Pygmaea Aurescens', 'Reis Dwarf', 'Snowflake', 'Spirited', 'Sunspray', 'Tempelhof', 'Tetragona Aurea', 'Verdoni'
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Chamaecyparis
- Species:
- obtusa
- Family:
- Cupressaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Has been widely used in Japanese architecture.
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Root Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Formosa, Japan
- Play Value:
- Screening
- Dimensions:
- Height: 50 ft. 0 in. - 75 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 10 ft. 0 in. - 25 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Needled Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Broad
- Pyramidal
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- 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
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12-24 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 4b, 5b, 5a, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8b, 8a
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Green
- Orange
- Red/Burgundy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Summer
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- No true fruit-female seed bearing cones are green when immature turning to brown. Small 0.5 in. orange-brown cones with 8-10 scales
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-
Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Gold/Yellow
- Insignificant
- Orange
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Insignificant
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- 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:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Needles
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Description:
- Short, closely compressed, green leaves are scale-like in flattened sprays with whitish x-like markings on the underside. Leaves come in 2 scale leaf sizes.
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-
Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Brown
- Red/Burgundy
- Surface/Attachment:
- Peeling
- Bark Description:
- Reddish-brown bark will peel on mature trees.
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-
Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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-
Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Meadow
- Recreational Play Area
- Landscape Theme:
- Children's Garden
- Rock Garden
- Winter Garden
- Design Feature:
- Specimen
