Habitat

• native to coastal or mountainous, moist regions of North America from Alaska south to Oregon
• hardy to zone 4 where atmospheric moisture is high in winter

Habit and Form

• a medium-sized evergreen tree
• pyramidal form
• 30' to 45' tall in cultivation
• pendulous sprays of needles
• medium texture
• medium growth rate

Summer Foliage

• evergreen, needle -like leaves
• needles are closely appressed
• spreading sprays
• pointed apex
• grayish green needle color
• rank smell when crushed

Autumn Foliage

• no autumn color
• evergreen

Flowers

• not of ornamental importance
• monoecious

Fruit

• globose, brown cones
• 0.33" to 0.5" in diameter
• ripens in second year

Bark

• squared stems
• shredding bark
• reddish brown color

Culture

• prefers deep, moist, loamy soil
• needs a well-drained site
• best in full sun
• cold hardy

Landscape Use

• lawn tree
• for evergreen features
• specimen

Liabilities

• hard to find and expensive
• blights
• generally pest free

ID Features

• needle-like leaves
• no white markings typical of chamaecyparis
• rank odor when needles are crushed
• small brown cones
• shredding bark

Propagation

• by cuttings
• by seed, rarely done
• by grafting

Cultivars/Varieties

'Aurea' - Bright yellow new growth, color is retained well throughout the season.

'Glauca' - Blue foliage on branches that weep. Habit is upright, to 25'

'Pendula' - An extremely hardy cultivar that is increasingly common in today's landscapes. The branches are strongly weeping and display deep green foliage.

'Variegata' - Green foliage bears irregular gold flecks.