Plant Image Data Base                                         

     Chamaecyparis pisifera

                                                            Sawara False Cypress

• Form
  • the species form, which is rarely available in the nursery trade, is a 60' tall by 20' wide tree, but the small, medium, and large shrub forms commonly available in the trade range from 3' to 20' tall by similar widths, depending upon cultivar
  • upright pyramidal to pendulous irregular growth habits, depending upon cultivar
  • slow growth rate
• Culture
  • full sun to partial sun
  • prefers moist, well-drained, neutral to slightly acidic soils, but is somewhat adaptable to harsher conditions
  • Cypress Family, with few disease or pest problems
  • commonly available in container or ball and burlap form
• Foliage
  • scale-like leaves that press close to the thready stems (for 'Filifera' or 'Mop' types) or fluffy short juvenile-foliaged-type needles (for 'Boulevard' types)
  • "evergreen" although the foliage of many cultivars is not green in color

• Function
  • focal point, specimen, entranceway, or foundation shrub
• Texture
  • fine texture
  • thick to average density, depending upon cultivar
• Assets
  • foliage color variants that are "evergreen"
  • variable growth habits for different cultivars
• Purpose
  • Sawara False cypress, a large tree in its native Japan, is often represented by selections of its various evergreen shrubs, which themselves exhibit differences in foliage color (blue, yellow, and green), size, and growth habit (upright, spreading, and/or pendulous).
• Summary
  • Chamaecyparis pisifera is known for its smaller evergreen variants which are shrubs that have distinctive growth habits and vibrant foliage colors.

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