Chamaecyparis, the Lawson false cypress

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Evergreen, cypress-like foliage in many shapes and colours, on a tree that ranges from 6½ to 65 feet (2 to 20 m): the Lawson false cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana) makes an ornamental or a conifer hedge, and stands pruning very well. Give it sun and ground draining well over a great depth, and you gain a hardy conifer for all regions.

It is used as an ornamental cypress tree or as part of a conifer hedge.

Planting Chamaecyparis

It is preferable to plant it in fall in order to support root development, but you can also plant it until spring, on non-freezing days.

• Chamaecyparis loves high sun exposure and tolerates part sun.
• The ground must drain well over a great depth.
• Refer to our guidelines on planting shrubs.

• Before planting a Chamaecyparis, soak the container in a bucket of water until air bubbles stop rising, so the root ball is fully moist and roots can spread into the surrounding soil.
• Set the Lawson false cypress so that the top of its root ball sits level with the surrounding soil, as burying the trunk collar under soil or mulch encourages rot at the base.
• Where the ground stays wet in winter, plant the Lawson cypress on a slight raised mound rather than in a hollow, since its roots are vulnerable to the water-borne rot Phytophthora lateralis.
• For a Lawson cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana) hedge, plant young stock about 2 to 3 feet (60 to 90 cm) apart in a single row, adjusting spacing for other species or cultivars according to their eventual size.

Pruning and caring for Chamaecyparis

You may equalize the tree 1 or 2 times if needed. Clean it up at the end of winter.

Chamaecyparis stands pruning very well, which makes it possible to shape it as you wish, and to prune it as often as you care to in order to keep its shape.

Watering Chamaecyparis

Water regularly during the first 2 years after planting, if it doesn’t rain of course.

After that, it will only need to be watered in case of extended dry spell or strong heat.

Over the first few seasons, you can amend the soil with conifer-specific fertilizer in order to spur proper growth.

Chamaecyparis care at a glance: when to do what

The main tasks for a Lawson false cypress each have their own moment in the year. Use the table below to see what needs doing, and when.

Beyond these few operations, this hardy conifer asks for very little.

Learn more about Chamaecyparis

The many shapes and colours that make this conifer such a magnificent ornamental tree are offered as named cultivars, so adjust hedge spacing according to the eventual size of whichever you choose.

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana is a genus of the Cupressaceae family and is still a close cousin to the cypress, sharing its distinctive shape and leaves.

It holds out well to the cold and to freezing, which makes it a hardy conifer for all regions.

It grows in many different shapes and colors, which makes it also a magnificent ornamental tree.

It’s name “Lawson” was attributed in reference to the famous Scottish botanist, not because he was the person who discovered it, but because Murray, another botanist, named the tree in his honor.

Which Lawson cypress to choose: a comparison of popular cultivars

Lawson false cypress is sold under dozens of cultivar names, from gold-tipped dwarfs for a trough to slim blue columns for a screen. The table sets out the ones most often found in garden centres and catalogues, with the colour, shape and job each does best.

Diseases and parasites infecting Chamaecyparis

If you notice that some of the branches of your Chamaecyparis start turning brown and drying off, and that it tends to spread, it is most certainly due to canker and must be speedily treated.

• Cypress canker

• When cypress canker appears, cut the affected branch back to clean white wood well below the sunken, resin-oozing lesion, disinfecting the blade between every cut so the fungus is not carried into healthy growth.
• Burn or bin prunings from a cankered Chamaecyparis instead of shredding them for mulch, because the fungus survives in the dead wood and keeps releasing spores onto neighbouring conifers.
• Foliage that fades to a dull yellow then bronze over the whole plant, with cinnamon-brown staining under the bark at the collar, points to Phytophthora root rot, for which there is no cure in Chamaecyparis.
• Because Phytophthora lateralis persists in wet soil, avoid replanting another Chamaecyparis where one has died of root rot, and never site the tree in ground that stays waterlogged after rain.
• Bronzed, finely speckled foliage deep inside a Chamaecyparis hedge during hot, dry spells can indicate conifer spider mites, though drought stress and normal interior needle shedding look similar; tap a shoot over white paper and look for moving specks.

Smart tip about Chamaecyparis

A supportive practice is to spread mulch, for instance maritime pine bark, at the base of the tree.