Types of Evergreen Cypress Shrubs


Hinoki Cypress Shrubs

Many of the cultivars of Chamaecyparis obtusa are called Hinoki cypresses, and most are shorter shrubs ideal for landscape settings where trees won't fit. The irregularly shaped Golden Dwarf Hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Nana Lutea') grows to 3 feet tall and offers golden highlights on deep-green foliage in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 9, reveals Monrovia.

Another Hinoki that offers visual interest due to its irregular shape is the Twisted Hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Torulosa'), which Monrovia states grows best in USDA zones 4 through 8. Growing slowly to 9 feet tall and wide, twisted Hinoki has red bark and twisted branches that add to its visual appeal, making it an excellent choice for your landscape.

Other Obtusa Cultivars

While many of the cultivars of Chamaecyparis obtusa are commonly called Hinoki cypress, other cultivars are named something other than Hinoki. Fernspray false cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Filicoides') slowly reaches 8 to 10 feet tall. According to Monrovia, this variety has an irregular pyramidal form with long branches that resemble fern leaves jutting outward and upward.

'Tempelhof' (Chamaecyparis obtus 'Tempelhof') grows to an 8-foot-tall, 4-foot-wide rounded pyramid and offers the same dense, green foliage of many other false cypresses, reveals Monrovia. Both of these false cypresses grow best in USDA zones 4 through 8.

Chamaecyparis Pisifera Species

Another commonly encountered landscape false cypress species is Chamaecyparis pisifera. Cultivars of this species range from rounded mounds to pyramidal, miniature tree-shaped shrubs. 'Baby Blue' sawara cypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Baby Blue') has silvery blue foliage that forms densely on twisting branches, says Monrovia. This variety reaches 6 feet tall and 4 feet wide and often has a rounded pyramidal shape.

For brighter color, Monrovia suggests you consider the golden mop varieties, such as Sungold thread-branch cypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera filifera 'Sungold'). The dangling branches from these bright trees form a 5-foot-tall and slightly wider mop-headed mound and the new foliage is bright gold. Both varieties grow in USDA zones 4 through 8.

Other Choices Worth Considering

While most of the true cypresses are trees, 'Wilma Goldcrest' (Cupressus macrocarpa 'Wilma Goldcrest'), hardy in USDA zones 7 through 10, is a columnar bright-gold shrub with a defined point that grows to 8 feet tall and up to 2 feet wide, says Monrovia. The 'Drew's Blue' (Microbiota decussata 'Condrew'), on the other hand, offers deep, bluish-green foliage on a spreading mound that reaches up to 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide.

According to Monrovia, in the winter, the foliage of 'Drew's Blue' gains an attractive maroon tint, which is absolutely stunning. 'Drew's Blue' is hardy in USDA zones 2 through 8 and is a variety that handles full shade.