Summer cypress

Bassia scoparia

In other languages: Zomercipres (Nederlands) · Kochia (Français)

Summer cypress is an annual in the amaranth family, native to southern Europe and the temperate regions of Asia. In a single summer it grows into a dense, oval to round bush about 80 cm tall, covered in narrow, soft, light green leaves that make it look like a small conifer. In autumn it turns purple-red and later rusty brown. The flowers are tiny and inconspicuous: you grow it for its shape and colour. Gardeners use it as a temporary low hedge, as an accent in a border or in a large pot. It used to be called Kochia scoparia, and that name still appears on many seed packets.

Caution: Summer cypress self-seeds heavily and has become a notorious weed in North America and Australia, among other places. Pull the plants up before the seed is ripe and do not put plants with ripe seed on the compost heap.

Updated on 9 October 2026

Light
Full sun
warm and bright
Moisture
Dry to normal
no wet feet
Legal basis
Sand, loam or clay
any pH
Hardiness
down to 2 °C
protect in harsh winters
Size
0.8 m
tall, 0.5 m wide

Key facts
Pruning months	July–August
Height	0.8 m
Native to Belgium	No, planted
Poisonous to people and pets	Not known to be poisonous

Identify

Summer cypress: how do you recognise it?

Habit: Dense, upright, oval to round bush 60–80 cm tall and 40–50 cm wide, with many fine branches.
Leaves: Narrow and linear, 2–5 cm long, soft and slightly hairy; fresh green in summer, purple-red to rusty brown in autumn.
Flower: Tiny greenish flowers in the leaf axils in late summer; they are barely noticeable.
Seed: Lots of small seeds in autumn. They drop easily and germinate the following spring.
Roots: A deep taproot with fine side roots, which is why it copes so well with drought.

Sowing: March–May · Plants: May–June · Pruning: July–August

In your garden

Why grow it?

A dense green ball or low hedge in a single summer, without waiting for years.
Striking autumn colour: from fresh green to purple-red and rusty brown.
Copes well with heat and drought: ideal for a sunny, dry spot or a gravel garden.
Takes light clipping, so you can shape neat balls or a low hedge.
Quickly fills gaps in a new garden while perennials and shrubs are still growing.

Summer cypress: where does it grow best?

Full sun: in shade it grows loose and floppy and colours less well.
Any well-drained soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky.
Dry to moderately moist; it dislikes wet feet.
Plant 40–50 cm apart; for a dense low hedge 30–40 cm apart.

Light: Sun
Soil type: Sand, loam or clay
Acidity: Not fussy
Moisture: Dry or normal
Size: 0.8 m tall, 0.5 m wide
Hardiness: Frost tender: plant out after the last frost (mid-May)

Goes well with

Zinnia: Bright colours against the fresh green; also loves sun and warmth.
Cosmos: Airy flowers next to the dense, compact bushes.
French marigold: A low orange or yellow edging in front of a row of summer cypress.
Ornamental grasses: Swaying stems and autumn colour alongside the red bushes.
Sage: Blue or purple flower spikes in the same dry, sunny border.

Maintenance

Summer cypress: when and how to plant it?

Plant in May–June.

Sow indoors in March–April at 15–20 °C. Scatter the seed on the compost and cover it barely or not at all: it needs light to germinate.
Prick the seedlings out into small pots once they have two true leaves and keep them in good light, not too warm.
Plant out in May–June, after the last frost. Sowing in situ is possible in May.
Set the plants at the same depth as in the pot, 40–50 cm apart, or 30–40 cm apart for a hedge.
Water well after planting and keep the soil lightly moist for the first two weeks.
Do not feed: in poor to ordinary soil it stays more compact and sturdy.

Care

Water: Rarely needed once established. Water only in long dry spells; in pots, water regularly.
Feeding: Not needed in the open ground. In a pot, a little liquid feed once a month.
Shaping: For a neat ball or hedge, clip lightly in July and August.
Support: In a windy spot a tall plant may lean; a small cane solves that.
Seed: Pull the plants up in autumn before the seed ripens, to prevent hundreds of seedlings.

Tip: Plant the young plants in a row 30–40 cm apart and clip them lightly a few times in July: in one summer you will have a dense low hedge that turns red in autumn.

Summer cypress: when to prune it?

Pruning months: July–August.

When: Pruning is not necessary. For a neat ball or hedge, clip lightly in July and August.

How:

Use sharp shears to remove only the outer 3–5 cm of the shoots.
Do not cut back beyond the green leaves, or you will be left with bare patches.
Stop clipping by mid-August so the plant goes into autumn looking full.
Pull the plants up before they set seed, usually in October.

Caution: Do not let the plants set seed: summer cypress can self-seed heavily.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed: Sow indoors in March–April or in situ in May, on the surface and barely covered. Use fresh seed: it does not stay viable for long.

Summer cypress: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to 2 °C: protect in harsh winters.

Not hardy: the plant dies with the first frost. It is grown as an annual.
Pull the plants up after the autumn colour, before the seed drops, and clear away the remains.
Sow again every spring. Any self-sown seedlings can be weeded out or moved to the right spot.

Diseases and pests

Damping off: Seedlings rot at the base and collapse. Use clean seed compost, do not overwater and ventilate regularly.
Loose, floppy growth: Too much shade or too much fertiliser. Choose a sunny spot and do not feed.
Aphids: Small green or black aphids on the shoot tips. Spray off with water; ladybirds do the rest.
Unwanted seedlings: Lots of seedlings in spring. Pull the plants up in good time in autumn and weed young seedlings straight away.

Through the year

March: Sow indoors on the surface of the compost at 15–20 °C.
April: Sow indoors. Prick out seedlings.
May: After the last frost, plant out or sow in situ.
June: Plant out. Water until the plants are established.
July: Clip lightly for shape. Water only in long dry spells.
August: Last light clip, by mid-August at the latest.
September: The bushes start to turn red.
October: Full autumn colour. Pull plants up before the seed drops.
November: Clear away the remains.

You and this species

Did you know?

The name scoparia comes from the Latin scopa, broom: the dried plants were once used to make brooms.
In Japan the seeds are eaten under the name ‘tonburi’, sometimes called ‘land caviar’.
At Hitachi Seaside Park in Japan, thousands of summer cypress plants turn a whole hill red every autumn.

Garden plants · All species