Growing the Fernspray Hinoki Cypress

Size and Appearance

The Fernspray Hinoki Cypress is a small to medium-sized upright evergreen bush with leaves of a deep, shining green color. It usually develops one or a few upright stems, with numerous side branches growing out at different angles. These end in rounded sprays of dense foliage, and the formation of the leaves resembles the sprays of fern leaves, which is what the Latin name, ‘filicoides’, means. The main branches soon become bare of leaves, revealing textured bark that is dark gray-brown in color. Older stems show rugged bark, with a tendency to flake off in plates or strips. All of this adds to the ‘wild’ look of this plant, although it was actually found growing in gardens in Japan. In spring the new growth is a brighter, fern-green color, making an attractive contrast with the darker foliage. This tree grows at a slow to moderate rate, adding 6 to 8 inches of new growth a year, and in 10 years it will be about 6 feet tall and about 4 feet wide. Like all dwarf conifers it continues to grow slowly throughout its life, and in 25 years it will probably be 10 to 15 feet tall, and 8 feet or more across. Ancient specimens have been measured at over 40 feet tall, so allow enough room for its later growth when planting – 10 years in a garden passes quickly.

Using the Fernspray Hinoki Cypress in Your Garden

The Fernspray Hinoki Cypress is the perfect plant to add interest and height to a collection of dwarf evergreens growing in a sunny bed. Mulch the soil with gravel and add some boulders for contrast, and you have a fabulous feature that needs almost no maintenance and yet matures and develops into an outstanding element in any garden. It will contrast beautifully with the rounded or spreading form of most other dwarf conifers. Grow a pair on either side of an entrance or doorway. With its moderate height and slower growth, it will not outgrow the space or block windows, yet it has character and charm even from an early age. This is also an ideal plant to use in a large pot or planter box, where the unique form of the foliage can be fully appreciated close up. Place these pots on a terrace or patio, or on a driveway beside the entrance.

It is in Asian gardens, though, that the Fernspray Hinoki Cypress really stands out. It has exactly the rugged character and effect that is seen in a fabulously-expensive bonsai tree, the result of decades of training. Here that effect develops naturally, and in a few years it will bring just the right look to that corner of your courtyard, beside a pool, or contrasting with sprays of bamboo. Grow a fern at the base to create a subtle reference to its name, and to enhance the beauty of both plants. With its narrow form and height, it brings character without taking up room and it will never make even the smallest oriental corner look overplanted. It can also, of course, be turned into a real bonsai, and its natural habit makes it halfway there already.

Hardiness

This tough bush grows without damage even in colder places in zone 4, as well as thriving in all but the hottest states.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

The Fernspray Hinoki Cypress grows best in full sun, and it will grow well in most garden soils, as long as they are not constantly wet. Once established it is moderately drought resistant, but summers in Japan are damp, and Japanese plants rarely have great resistance to dryness, so water regularly during the summer months for the best growth.

Maintenance and Pruning

This tree has no significant pests or diseases. It should never be trimmed with shears or hedge trimmers, as this will destroy its natural character. Its width can be controlled by pruning in spring, before the new growth appears, and branches can be removed to enhance its open character, which will give it a more mature look.

History and Origin of the Fernspray Hinoki Cypress

The Hinoki Cypress, Chamaecyparis obtusa, is also called the false cypress, because the fan-like sprays of foliage resemble that of true cypress trees. This tree is a large forest tree in Japan, often reaching over 100 feet tall. It is an important timber tree, and it is also held sacred in some Japanese religions. The Japanese collected and grew many dwarf and unusual forms they found in their gardens. The form called ‘Filicoides’ was found in a nursery in Japan by the German plant collector Philipp von Siebold, and he brought plants home around 1860. From Germany this remarkable plant was spread around the world.

Buying the Fernspray Hinoki Cypress at the Tree Center

This plant is always in high demand for its unique character, and it is relatively rare in America. We have acquired some beautiful specimens, but collectors and lovers of the unusual will soon deplete our stock, so order now and enjoy something unique, special, and yet easy to grow.

Growing the Debonair Pond Cypress

Size and Appearance

The Debonair Pond Cypress is a deciduous tree with an upright, pyramidal form that grows a foot or more each year to reach 12 feet within 10 years, and be around 6 feet wide. It will continue to grow throughout it’s life, with a final height of 40 feet or even more, and a width approaching 20 feet. It has an attractive open, feathery form with upright branches. The bark is reddish-brown to gray-brown, fibrous and peeling in strips. Even relatively young trees develop broad buttresses at ground level, especially when growing in wet ground. Hard woody knobs may grow into the air off the roots, called ‘cypress knees’. These are mostly formed when growing in wet ground. The branches are covered in slender needle leaves about ¾ of an inch long, spiraling around the stems in two flattened rows. These are bright yellow-green when new in spring, turning attractive sage-green in summer, and then making an outstanding fall display of bronze and russet-orange to pumpkin in fall. Small cones may develop on older trees, up to 1½ inches wide, green-purple in summer turning brown by fall.

Using the Debonair Pond Cypress in Your Garden

For wet parts of any garden, and even in shallow water, this is an outstanding tree to grow. However it also grows well in ordinary garden soil, and it is a unique and striking specimen that will turn heads. Plant it on a lawn, or in a corner of your yard. If you have a large lawn area you can really make it beautiful with a selection of unique specimen trees – like this one. Since this tree will grow large relatively soon, take its final size into consideration when choosing a planting spot. Don’t plant beneath overhead wires and allow 10 feet distance from buildings, walls, fences and property lines, and don’t plant too close to existing trees.

Hardiness

The Debonair Pond Cypress is certainly a very hardy form of this tree, able to grow even in zone 4. It also grows all the way into zone 10, in a wide range of climates, and can be grown almost anywhere in the country.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Plant in full sun for the best growth and best fall colors, but young trees will tolerate some partial shade. Although native to swamps, the Debonair Pond Cypress is reliable in all garden soils, including drier soils and urban soils. Once well established it is moderately drought resistant, and one benefit of growing it in drier conditions is that it doesn’t develop many ‘cypress knees’ to interfere with mowing a lawn.

Maintenance and Pruning

Apart from a little formative pruning to keep a central leader, no particular care is needed. Water young plants frequently, but established trees can be left to grow by themselves. Serious pests or diseases are normally not seen, and it isn’t bothered by deer.

History and Origin of the Debonair Pond Cypress

The bald cypress, Taxodium distichum, is a tree native to North America, growing throughout Florida, north to Virginia and west into Texas. It is usually found in swamps. In clearer water and areas free of silt deposits a form with slightly different leaves is found, called variety imbricarium. Some botanists consider it a different species, calling it Taxodium ascendens. This variety is called the pond cypress to distinguish it from the bald cypress. In the mid-1960s Earl Cully, a tree enthusiast who owned Heritage Trees Inc. in Jacksonville Illinois, was given a piece of an unusual pond cypress growing at the Morris Arboretum, Philadelphia. He grafted it onto a seedling and grew it for 27 years, assessing it for it’s vigor, cold-hardiness and appearance. In 2003 he registered the trademark name Debonair for his tree. In 2005 he submitted a patent for the name ‘Morris’, but while that remains the correct botanical name for it, the patent seems never to have been granted.

Buying the Debonair Pond Cypress at the Tree Center

It is extraordinary that pond cypress isn’t better known, and that the Debonair Pond Cypress isn’t in every garden. You can correct that mistake and plant one, but order now, because limited supply is part of the reason it is so scarce in gardens – do not miss out while we still have plants available.

Growing the Heatherbun White Cypress

Size and Appearance

The Heatherbun White Cypress is a tight, bun-like evergreen, with tiny pointed needles tightly packed along the stems, giving it a ‘fuzzy’ visual texture. When young it has a neat rounded form, typically becoming 2 to 6 inches taller and wider each year, depending on the growing conditions. Within 10 years it will be at least 2 feet tall and wide, and probably more, continuing to grow steadily throughout its life. It is best to assume a typical mature size of 5 to 6 feet tall and wide when planning where to plant it. Young plants are almost perfect balls, but with age it develops a more interesting form, rising in irregular ways at the top until it resembles a distant view of a cluster of steep hills. It can be kept as a perfect ball by annual clipping – it’s up to you, but plants like this often develop more ‘character’ if left untrimmed.

The foliage is short, triangular needles closely spaced along the stems. In wild trees this kind of ‘fuzzy’ foliage is only found in seedlings – older plants have smooth, scale-like leaves. This variety retains that spiky, juvenile foliage throughout its life, giving it a unique texture. The spring and summer foliage is a soft blue-green, but the colder weather of late fall and winter turns it to a dramatic and bold purple-plum. The difference is so striking it might as well be a different bush.

Using the Heatherbun White Cypress in Your Garden

This bush is perfect for color contrast in the winter garden, as well as being an attractive green ball in summer. Plant it anywhere, such as in front of dark-green evergreens around your home, or out in beds among flowering shrubs. It looks great among rocks and gravel, perhaps with other evergreens of different forms, like low spreaders and tall columns. With its tolerance of wet ground it is a good way of getting that special ‘conifer look’ beside a pond or stream. It can also be grown in pots and planters.

Hardiness

This tough shrub is hardy in zone 4 and all through zone 8, so it can be grown in gardens all across the country. It does not grow so well in areas with hot and dry summers, such as the southwest, but thrives in coastal areas with humidity, and in areas with cooler summers and regular rainfall. Plants in pots will survive year-round outdoors in zones 6, 7 and 8.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Grow the Heatherbun White Cypress in full sun for good results – shade will make it flop open and look unattractive. Unlike most conifers it prefers damper soils, and it grows well even in wet ground, and in places with poor drainage. It grows in both acid and alkaline conditions, and is happy in any ordinary garden soil that isn’t too sandy and dry. It only has moderate resistance to drought and it is best to keep it well-watered during hot weather.

Maintenance and Pruning

This bush is rarely bothered by pests or diseases. It can be trimmed as wanted, avoiding trimming during hot weather and late in the year. An annual spring trim is best, once the new growth has matured. Untrimmed plants may split under the weight of winter snow. To prevent this run some strings inside the bush, connecting the main stems and pulling them together slightly. Be careful not to tie them tightly around the stems – allow plenty of slack in the loops.

History and Origin of the Heatherbun White Cypress

Often known as southern white-cedar, swamp cedar or Atlantic white-cedar, this plant, Chamaecyparis thyoides, is not a cedar, but a relative of the Hinoki and Sawara Cypresses, so Atlantic white cypress or simply white cypress are better names. It grows naturally along the Atlantic coast from Maine to Georgia, and also around the Gulf of Mexico from Florida to Mississippi. It is a tall tree about 80 feet tall, with feathery foliage. It grows in wet areas on coastal flat lands. Although it has been around for a long time, and it’s very popular, we have no idea where the variety called Heatherbun came from. It is also sometimes sold as ‘Purple Heather’.

Buying the Heatherbun White Cypress at the Tree Center

This unique bush, ideal for wetter parts of the garden where other conifers won’t grow, is outstanding for winter color, yet rarely available. Take advantage of the great stock we found, but order now – our supply is limited and will sell out very soon.

Growing the Coralliformis Hinoki Cypress

Size and Appearance

The Coralliformis Hinoki Cypress is a broad, upright evergreen conifer, forming a pyramid with a wide base. Within 10 years, adding 3 or 4 inches each year, it will be 3 to 5 feet tall and wide, depending on your growing conditions. Evergreens never stop growing, and you can expect a mature specimen to reach 10 feet tall and wide in time. Consider these dimensions carefully when planting – the unique foliage means the last thing you want is to be forced to trim it. The plant is dense and bushy, but not a boring green ball – it has a lot of texture and appeal, thanks to the clusters of foliage that develop. The tiny triangular leaves are green scales that lie flat against the stems that form thread-like branches, forking and forking again until they resemble clusters of coral branches. The leaves are glossy green, contrasting with the shaggy reddish bark on the older stems. These young stems twist and curl too, and sometimes grow together into thicker structures, called ‘fasciation’. The color is a consistent green, without significant bronzing in winter, while new spring growth is brighter green. This plant is unlikely to develop any of the typical ball-like cones seen in this species.

Using the Coralliformis Hinoki Cypress in Your Garden

Where you want a mid-sized evergreen of interest and form, look no further than the Coralliformis Hinoki Cypress. Plant it among other evergreens around your home – it’s natural foliage looks great against the smooth, clipped forms of arborvitae or yew. Plant it between windows, or close to a walkway. Perhaps it could be used as a pair on either side of a doorway or gate, or at the foot of a set of steps. Use it as an accent where a pathway turns, or grow it among deciduous shrubs for winter form and interest. It is very attractive grown in areas of gravel and rocks, mixed with a range of other evergreen conifers of different colors and form – add some blue spreading junipers, golden columns or weeping cedars perhaps – for an area that is incredibly low-maintenance, but that becomes more striking and attractive every year.

Hardiness

The Coralliformis Hinoki Cypress is incredibly hardy and adaptable, growing well even in zone 4, and yet also growing in warm and hot states, tolerating high humidity as well.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Like most conifers, this is a plant for a sunny location, although it will be fine in a spot with a few hours of shade each day. It is also very adaptable to soil, growing in acid to alkaline ground, and in clay too. Very dry and sandy soil is not so suitable, as this is a plant that likes some regular moisture and grows best in richer earth. Use mulch to preserve moisture, and once established it has reasonable resistance to ordinary summer drought.

Maintenance and Pruning

The simple answer to trimming and pruning is, ‘Don’t’. Just leave this shrub to develop its own natural form, as taking shears or trimmers to it will destroy the twisted beauty of its stems, which is it’s main beauty. Pests and diseases are not normally problems.

History and Origin of the Coralliformis Hinoki Cypress

The Hinoki Cypress, Chamaecyparis obtusa, is a large tree native to Japan. It is often called falsecypress, because the true cypress is Cupressus, from Europe and North America. Wild trees are huge, growing over 100 feet tall, so it is rarely seen in gardens. There are many different smaller forms, and the one called Coralliformis dates back to at least the very first years of the 20th century, before 1909. Those early trees, though, are described as very dwarf, while our modern tree grows much larger, so there may be some issues with the true names – but like everyone else we are going to stick to it.

Buying the Coralliformis Hinoki Cypress at the Tree Center

You really can’t build an attractive garden without including a range of conifer evergreens like the Coralliformis Hinoki Cypress. It’s a real garden staple you can’t be without, so order your plants right away. This always-popular bush is always in short supply, so we can’t guarantee to always have it in stock – order now.

Growing the Curly Tops Sawara Cypress

Size and Appearance

The Curly Tops Sawara Cypress is a small rounded evergreen shrub with a dense, multi-branching structure. It forms a neat but informal rounded plant, becoming slightly more pyramidal as it matures. Both the shoots and needles are curled, and the needles are colored steely blue. Because the needles are twisted, this reveals the white bands on the underside, normally hidden. This adds a sparking brightness to the blue coloring, pushing it into a silvery tone. The twisted stems and branches give it a unique visual texture, drawing you to touch it. When you do, you will be surprised to see how soft and almost mossy it feels, not hard and spiny the way many other conifers are. It grows slowly, just 1 or 2 inches a year, so after about 10 years it will be 18 to 24 inches tall and wide, with branches and needles right to the ground. Like all evergreens it will keep growing throughout its life, so in time it can reach as much as 5 feet in height and width – by which time it will be an amazing, and valuable, specimen plant.

Using the Curly Tops Sawara Cypress in Your Garden

Wherever you need a compact mound of silvery blue as an accent or to fill a space in a bed, then the Curly Tops Sawara Cypress is your plant. Use it in pockets in a rock garden, or in a bed of mixed shrubs. Build a collection of dwarf evergreens in a dedicated bed, perhaps decorated with boulders and a gravel mulch. Choose a big range of colors and shapes, and watch your collection become a year-round garden feature that takes almost no work. Plant this bush in spaces on terracing, or in planter boxes (from zone 6 onwards). Use it in tubs alone for a sleek, modern look, or surrounded by flowers for rich and vibrant year-round interest. The options and opportunities are endless.

Hardiness

This bush may be small, but that doesn’t stop it being hardy in zone 4, with some shelter. It is fully hardy all the way from zone 5 to zone 8.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Full sun is best for the Curly Tops Sawara Cypress, but it will tolerate a couple of hours of shade each day without any significant impact. In hotter zones some afternoon shade from the heat of the sun is even beneficial. Too much shade will make it weak and open, though, and much less attractive. It grows in just about any well-drained soil, but unlike conifers that enjoy dry and sandy soils, this one does prefer richer soils with some moisture. So add some organic material when planting, and mulch with more each spring, over the root system. Although reasonably drought resistant once it has been growing for a season or two, some regular watering during summer dry periods is a great idea.

Maintenance and Pruning

There are rarely any pest or disease problems with the Curly Tops Sawara Cypress, and deer don’t normally bother it. It is easy to grow, and should never be trimmed, as this will destroy the unique curly look, and that would be a bad thing, don’t you think? Put away the shears.

History and Origin of the Curly Tops Sawara Cypress

The Sawara cypress, Chamaecyparis pisifera, is native to the mountain forests of Japan, where it is a large tree that can grow to 100, or even 150 feet tall. It isn’t really a cypress, so it is also often called “false cypress”. The wild tree is rarely grown in gardens, but many different dwarf varieties have been selected over the years, first in Japan and then in the 20th century in Europe and America. In 1934, at the Boulevard Nurseries, Middletown, Rhode Island, an unusual branch was spotted on an older variety. It became one of the most well-known forms of Sawara cypress, called ‘Boulevard’. Around 1985 a unique branch was seen on a plant of ‘Boulevard’ growing at the Yamina Rare Plants Nursery, Monbulk, Australia. In 1989 they released it as Curly Tops, and that is how this great little plant came into being.

Buying the Curly Tops Sawara Cypress at the Tree Center

Given the much-coveted Award of Garden Merit in 2012 by Britain’s Royal Horticultural Society, it has the stamp of approval of experts, so you know its reliable and valuable in your garden. You will enjoy adding this little guy to your garden, and we have some great starter plants for you, from specialist growers who make sure they only propagate the exact right plant. Order now, though, as our supply is limited.