Chamaecyparis obtusa
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- kam-ee-SIP-a-riss ob-TOO-suh
- Description
-
Hinoki cypress is a large, woody, needled evergreen tree from Formosa, Japan with a broad, softly pyramidal shape and spreading, horizontal branches. It is in the Cupressaceae (cypress) family and has been widely used in Japanese architecture. The genus name derives from the Greek word chamai, for dwarf or low to the ground, and kyparissos, for cypress.
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. Propagate from root cuttings as this plant is difficult to transplant.
The cones are small and orange-brown. This tree is rarely used in landscapes due to its mature size of 50 to 75 feet tall by 10 to 25 feet wide. There are many dwarf cultivars in smaller sizes better suited to home use. Hinoki cypress is best used as a specimen in a meadow or recreational play area.
Quick ID Hints:
- Sprays are fan-shaped, flat
- Leaves are all scale-like
- Scales are glaucous along edges, below appear as X or Y
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Somewhat susceptible to bagworms, root rot, and juniper blight. See Clemson's publication on 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 landscapes:
- Garden Treasures Mountain Ridge Top Garden - East Lawn and Lower Drive Border Mountain Ridge Top Garden - North Lawn and Upper Drive Border Mountain Ridge Top Garden - North Woods Sun and Shade Demo Garden, Buncombe County
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Blue Feathers'
- 'Butter Ball'
- 'Chabo Ya Dori'
- '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'
- 'Torolusa'
Dwarf Form
'Verdoni'
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
Fans of yellow-green foliage that hold color well - 'Blue Feathers'
- 'Blue Feathers', 'Butter Ball', 'Chabo Ya Dori', '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', 'Torolusa', 'Verdoni'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Blue Feathers'
- 'Butter Ball'
- 'Chabo Ya Dori'
- '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'
- 'Torolusa'
Dwarf Form
'Verdoni'
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
Fans of yellow-green foliage that hold color well - 'Blue Feathers'
- 'Blue Feathers', 'Butter Ball', 'Chabo Ya Dori', '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', 'Torolusa', '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
-
-
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, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
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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 Description:
- No flowers - the pollen bearing cones are small and often reddish, growing from the branch tips.
-
-
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.
-
-
Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Brown
- Red/Burgundy
- Surface/Attachment:
- Peeling
- Bark Description:
- Reddish-brown bark will peel on mature trees.
-
-
Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
-
-
Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Meadow
- Recreational Play Area
- Landscape Theme:
- Children's Garden
- Rock Garden
- Winter Garden
- Design Feature:
- Specimen
