False cypress is a stunning conifer with dense foliage in blue, green, or golden hues. We offer several varieties with different shapes, sizes, and colors, which may be difficult to obtain locally. This shrub's fern-like foliage is soft to the touch and evergreen for year-round color and texture. It is easy to care for, deer resistant, and compact in size. False cypress blends in well with all landscaping and adds a pop of color during the winter months.
False cypress (Chamaecyparis species) comes in diverse forms and foliage colors, ranging from deep greens to silvery blues and golden yellows. They are also available in a variety of sizes, from dwarf varieties suitable for containers to towering trees reaching up to 230 feet in their native habitats. There is a variety of false cypress for any application, giving landscapes year-round interest and structure.
In garden design, larger varieties of false cypress can be used as privacy screens or focal points. Dwarf cultivars are ideal for container planting, adding texture and color to patios and small spaces. Their evergreen foliage offers continuous visual appeal, and their tolerance for pruning allows gardeners to shape them into hedges or topiaries, although these conifers have a naturally compact and pleasing form.
Types of False Cypress
Type
Scientific Name
Native Range
Foliage
Habit
Uses
Features
Hinoki false-cypress
Chamaecyparis obtusa
Japan, Taiwan
Dark-green, glossy scale leaves; two sizes on each spray, white markings beneath; aromatic when crushed
Narrow pyramidal tree; tiered horizontal branchlets with nodding tips
Accent or specimen, screens, hedges, foundation planting, bonsai
Sacred timber in Japan; reddish-brown peeling bark; hundreds of dwarf selections prized for texture
Lawson false-cypress
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana
SW Oregon & NW California coastal mountains
Bright green-blue scale leaves with white “X” marks beneath
Tall, narrow-conical; short ascending branches, drooping tips; flattened sprays
Large screens, tall specimens, many dwarf cultivars for rock gardens
Tallest Chamaecyparis; wood highly valued; susceptible to Phytophthora lateralis (resistant rootstocks now used)
Sawara false-cypress
Chamaecyparis pisifera
Japan (Honshu, Kyushu)
Medium-green scale leaves, silver-white beneath; juvenile “moss” or “thread” forms common
Loose pyramidal tree; older trunks reddish-brown, peeling in strips
Specimen, large shrub borders, foundation; dwarfs for rock gardens, containers
Three horticultural forms – filifera (thread), plumosa (plume), squarrosa (moss); tolerant of some drought once established
False Cypress Care
False cypress thrives in full sun and moist, well-drained soil with a pH between 6 and 7. During the initial growing seasons, water deeply once or twice per week, increasing frequency during heat spells. Applying a slow-release fertilizer formulated for woody plants in early spring promotes healthy growth. Mulching helps retain moisture and regulate soil temperature.
Prune false cypress when young to shape hedges, avoiding cuts into old wood, as new growth does not emerge from these areas. Before winter, apply a light mulch layer and water deeply to protect roots from freezing temperatures. Remove diseased or broken branches in midwinter to maintain plant health. Dwarf cultivars are suitable for container growth; use appropriately sized pots with drainage and high-quality potting soil.
Companion choices should enjoy six-plus hours of sun, and slightly acidic, well-drained soil that stays evenly moist through summer heat. Weigela delivers a months-long flush of pink trumpets and thrives in that same moisture profile, while oakleaf hydrangea echoes the cypress’s acid preference and supplies bold summer cones and fiery autumn foliage for seamless seasonal hand-offs. Coneflower slides into the mid-border with drought-tolerant poise once settled and draws pollinators to the planting, whereas sun-loving coleus injects foliage contrast all season without challenging the shrub’s root space.
