Sawara cypress

Sawara cypress: how do you recognise it?

Growth habit

Conical tree of 15 m by 5 m; garden forms range from low globes to cones of 1–5 m.

Foliage

Tiny scale-like leaves with pointed tips on flat, feathery or thread-like sprays; green, yellow or blue-grey, with white lines beneath.

Bark

Reddish brown, peeling in thin strips.

Cones

Very small, round cones of about 6 mm.

Roots

Shallow and fibrous: it dries out quickly and wants evenly cool soil.

Plants: April–May and September–October · Pruning: May–June

Why grow it?

• Attractive all year: evergreen with soft, feathery or thread-like sprays in green, yellow or blue-grey.
• Many cultivars: from a low globe or dwarf form to a cone-shaped specimen tree.
• Very hardy to about −30 °C and suitable for a low hedge or a border.
• Soft texture and colour that contrast well with dark green shrubs.
• Needs little pruning, if grown in a cool spot.

Sawara cypress: where does it grow best?

• Sun to partial shade; yellow and blue-grey cultivars colour best in sun.
• Cool, humus-rich, free-draining soil: sand or loam; acid to neutral and lime-free.
• Evenly moist to damp soil; it does not tolerate prolonged drought but copes with fairly damp ground, as long as water does not stand.
• Sheltered from dry and cold wind. Allow 4–5 m for the species; 1–3 m for smaller cultivars.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Acid or neutral

Moisture

Normal or wet

Size

15 m tall, 5 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -30 °C)

Goes well with

• Japanese maple: Soft autumn colours next to the fine, feathery foliage.
• Rhododendron and Japanese azalea: They like the same cool, acid soil and flower in spring.
• Hydrangea: A moisture-loving shrub that also grows in cool, humus-rich soil.
• Heather: A low plant for acid soil, with colour in autumn and winter.

Sawara cypress: when and how to plant it?

Plant in April–May and September–October.

1. Plant in April–May or in September–October, when the soil is neither frozen nor bone dry.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the rootball and just as deep; mix in a few spadefuls of compost.
3. Set the tree at the same depth as in the pot, firm the soil well and do not bury the trunk.
4. Water thoroughly at once and then weekly in dry weather for the first two years.
5. Spread a layer of leaf-mould or bark mulch around the base, without touching the trunk.

Care

Water

For the first two years weekly in dry weather, soaking well. Also later in prolonged drought: it is more sensitive to drought than many other conifers.

Feeding

In March–April, a handful of organic feed or a conifer feed low in nitrogen.

Mulching

A layer of leaf mould or bark keeps the roots cool and moist.

Lime

Do not give lime or hard water; rainwater is best, especially for plants in pots.

In pots

Smaller cultivars do well in a large pot with loose, acid compost; keep the compost moist.

Tip: Give it cool, lime-free soil and never let it dry out. Prune only in the young green growth: it does not regrow from bare wood.

Sawara cypress: when to prune it?

Pruning months: May–June.

When: Little needed. If necessary, trim lightly in May–June, in the young green growth.

How:

• Shorten only the young, green shoot tips a little to keep the shape or density.
• Remove dead, dry and damaged sprays.
• Remove shoots of a different colour or habit.
• On soft, thread-like cultivars keep the natural, loose shape.

Caution: Do not cut into old, bare wood: it does not regrow from there. Always keep green foliage on the branch.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Cuttings

From August to October: take semi-ripe cuttings of 10–15 cm with a heel of old wood, set them in sandy compost and keep them moist and frost-free. Roots follow after a few months.

Seed

The species can be grown from seed, but cultivars do not come true from seed. Cultivars are usually propagated by cuttings or grafting.

Sawara cypress: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −30 °C.

• Fully hardy to about −30 °C: no protection is needed in open ground.
• Soft, conical cultivars may splay apart under heavy wet snow: gently shake the snow off the branches.
• Water during a dry frost on a frost-free day: evergreens also lose water in winter.
• In a pot: wrap the pot in bubble wrap or hessian and stand it against a wall.

Diseases and pests

• Brown sprays: Drought, heat or dry wind in spring and summer. Cut brown sprays back to the green, mulch and water in dry weather.
• Brown inside: Old inner sprays drop naturally in autumn. This is normal; shake or brush them out and make sure the outside stays green.
• Root rot: Whole branches turn yellow or brown in heavy, wet soil where water stands. There is no cure. Plant in a free-draining spot.
• Spider mites: Dull grey, faded foliage and fine webbing in warm, dry summers. Spray the branches with water and provide humidity around the plant.

Through the year

• January: Gently shake heavy, wet snow off the branches.
• February: Check for winter damage. Do not prune yet.
• March: Apply organic or conifer feed.
• April: Plant. Mulch.
• May: Plant. Trim lightly, only in the green growth.
• June: Trim lightly. Water in dry weather.
• July: Water in dry weather, especially young plants.
• August: Watch for spider mites. Take cuttings.
• September: Plant. Take cuttings.
• October: Plant. Top up the mulch.
• November: Protect the pot from frost.
• December: Rest. Water during dry frost on a frost-free day.

Did you know?

• The species name ‘pisifera’ means pea-bearing, after the small, pea-sized cones.
• Chamaecyparis means ‘low cypress’ in Greek: this genus is related to the true cypresses but is not the same.
• There are numerous garden forms, from golden thread-like branches to silvery-blue cones.