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Plants that fill a similar niche:
Pinus strobus 'Nana' Pinus strobus 'Nana'
Ilex glabra Leaves
Ilex vomitoria 'Taylor's Rudolph' ilex vomitoria 'Taylor's Rudolph' in early fall in Moore County

Rubicon White Cypress Chamaecyparis thyoides 'Red Star'

Other Common Name(s):

Previously known as:

  • Chamaecyparis thyoides 'Rubicon'
Phonetic Spelling
kam-ee-SIP-a-riss thy-OY-deez
Description

 'Rubicon' is a cultivar of White Cypress. It is known to be a temperamental outside of its native zone and can be prone to having short life problems. However, in places where it is native, the wetlands and bogs of eastern North America, it should thrive. This cultivar was first discovered in Winchester Tennessee where it was discovered by Humphrey J. Welch at the Tennessee Valley Nursery in the 1960s.

This dense columnar tree has blue-green evergreen foliage during the warm season which turns a deep reddish-purple in the cold season. It takes around 10 years to fully mature with around 3-4 inches of growth per year. It can be a good Winter interest plant for the garden and produces cone clusters.

This species prefers growing in full sun, in peat-sandy soils with medium to wet soils.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems; Few disease problems but has some susceptibility to juniper blight, root rot, and bagworms.

More information on Chamaecyparis thyoides.

Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#evergreen#small tree#full sun#partial shade#easy to grow#low maintenance#winter interest#dwarf#wet sites#low lying area#needled evergreen#native garden#cypress#cedar#white cedar#short lifespan#wet soils tolerant
 
Form in the spring.
Form in the spring. Jim Lawrence CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#evergreen#small tree#full sun#partial shade#easy to grow#low maintenance#winter interest#dwarf#wet sites#low lying area#needled evergreen#native garden#cypress#cedar#white cedar#short lifespan#wet soils tolerant
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Chamaecyparis
    Species:
    thyoides
    Family:
    Cupressaceae
    Life Cycle:
    Woody
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    Eastern US
    Dimensions:
    Height: 15 ft. 0 in. - 25 ft. 0 in.
    Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 12 ft. 0 in.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Shrub
    Tree
    Leaf Characteristics:
    Needled Evergreen
    Habit/Form:
    Ascending
    Columnar
    Dense
    Growth Rate:
    Slow
    Maintenance:
    Low
  • 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:
    Loam (Silt)
    Sand
    Soil pH:
    Acid (<6.0)
    Neutral (6.0-8.0)
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Moist
    Occasionally Wet
    Available Space To Plant:
    6-feet-12 feet
    12-24 feet
    NC Region:
    Coastal
    Usda Plant Hardiness Zone:
    4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Description:
    Confier, no fruit, produces cones
  • Flowers:
    Flower Description:
    Conifer, no flowers
  • Leaves:
    Leaf Characteristics:
    Needled Evergreen
    Leaf Color:
    Blue
    Green
    Leaf Value To Gardener:
    Showy
    Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
    Purple/Lavender
    Leaf Type:
    Needles
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Description:
    Short scale-like foliage is blue-green in the spring and summer and red-purple in the winter.
  • Stem:
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Coastal
    Lawn
    Pond
    Landscape Theme:
    Rain Garden
    Winter Garden
    Design Feature:
    Foundation Planting
    Mass Planting
    Small groups
    Specimen
    Attracts:
    Songbirds
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Deer
    Wet Soil
    Problems:
    Short-lived