Lavson's cypress is a native of North America and East Asia, loved by landscape designers around the world. The plant is available in a variety of shapes and sizes. A detailed description of the Lavson cypress and its varieties can be found in the material below.

Botanical description of the species Chamaecyparis Lawsoniana

Chamaecyparis Lawsoniana is a wonderful evergreen coniferous tree whose height reaches 15 m. The color of its needles varies from cold blue-green to green or yellow, depending on the variety. Juvenile leaves are awl-shaped. In adulthood, its needles have distinct white marks on the underside of the twigs.

Did you know? Cypress grows to 50–60 m and is an evergreen tree. The diameter of its trunk can reach 2 m. This culture is often confused with thuja due to the similarity of needles.

The plant is also known as Port Orford Cedar. In vivo, it grows in Oregon and California. He first came to Europe in 1854 when William Murray sent seeds from California to Charles Lawson, the then head of the nursery in Edinburgh. Cypress seeds first came on sale in 1858. The plant is a more frost-resistant variety than cypress, and this ensures its use in parks throughout Europe. Suitable for cultivation in areas with a minimum winter temperature of -29 ° C (5th winter hardiness zone).

Botanical Description:

• name: Chamaecyparis lawsoniana;
• family: cypress;
• genus: cypress;
• view: Lavson's cypress;
• class: coniferous;
• height: 50 m (maximum - 81 m);
• crown: conical;
• needles: small, scaly, 3-5 mm long. Grouped into small twigs located around the shoots;
• color: green, blue-green, golden;
• aroma: sharp, coniferous;
• fruits: male cones are purple-red, female cones are greenish. Placed at the ends of branches, ripen in September;
• bark: reddish-brown, peeling in stripes;
• root: deep;
• Lighting: partial shade or sun;
• soil: slightly sandy or slightly clay.

TOP 10 popular varieties

Breeders obtained a variety of cypress varieties from vertical pyramidal trees to dense, rounded or spreading shrubs, often with golden, silver or bluish needles. Among them, there are even varieties whose coloring may vary in winter. Basically, all of them coincide in terms of lighting and soil requirements on the plot on which they grow, so it is enough for the gardener to choose those varieties whose shape and color are suitable for his garden composition.

Did you know? In the natural environment, cypress needles can only be dark green. All other varieties — a sign that the plant was bred artificially.

Wisselii (Wisselii)

Wisselii cypress is a large tree with a narrow conical crown. Its thick branches are covered with small twigs with gray-green foliage. Additional attractiveness to the plant is given by male cones. In the spring they are bright red, but then they begin to darken and after some time they become familiar to everyone in brown.

For the first time, the variety emerged in the form of a seedling, selected in 1885 in the van der Wessel nursery in the Netherlands. Wisselii grows rather slowly and can reach only 1 meter at the age of 5 years. In adulthood, its height does not exceed 6 m, and its width is 2 m.

It prefers moist, but well-drained, slightly acidic soil, but adapts to almost all types of soil. It can grow in a sunny area or in partial shade. It tolerates frosts up to -29 ° С (5th winter hardiness zone).

Globosa (Globosa)

Globosa (Globosa) refers to low shrubby forms. The height of this plant does not exceed 1.5 m, and the crown diameter is 0.6 m. Globose is a multi-stemmed shrub with straight shoots, coniferous branches on which are directed upwards. They are short, but densely branched. The thread-like ends of coniferous branches hang slightly at the ends. And this makes the shape of the plant spherical, which is why it was called Globosa. The new needles when it appears will be gray-green, then it will darken.

The plant is completely unpretentious to the quality of the soil. It can grow on acidic and alkaline soils. But at the same time they should be moderately moist and drained. It is grown very easily. It tolerates drought and can grow in areas not exposed to wind. Looks impressive in groups. Used in the design of the alpine slides.

Blue Surprise

Blue Surprise is a dense plant with a narrow, vertical crown. But its decorative properties are not only a crown. It is also juvenile steel leaves with a blue color, growing on reddish shoots. In winter, on a sunny site, its needles acquire a more purple hue. Growing this variety for 10 years, you get a plant 2 m high. The annual growth of Blue Surprise is fixed at 15–20 cm.

It was first introduced by Tilbug Nursery (Netherlands) in 1976. Since then has received a number of international awards. It is especially popular with gardeners. Designed for the 5th zone of frost resistance (minimum winter temperature -29 ° C).

Important! Blue Surprise is prone to fungal damage to the roots, so when planting, you must create a drainage layer. Choose as dry a plot as possible for growing.

Stardust

Stardust cypress is one of the most popular hedge and hedge cultivars. He is valued for color and shape. The variety is extremely hardy, adapted to most conditions for growth and development. It was first obtained around 1900 at the Son Nursery, Bournemouth, UK.

Stardust is a narrow cone that grows 20–25 cm per year. The size of the plant is 3 × 1.5 m. Its golden branches have a vertical habit of growth. The colors of the needles are stable throughout the year. Stardust is the winner of several exhibitions. It has an excellent level of endurance and frost resistance (up to -29 ° C). For cultivation, you need to choose a partially shaded place with any, but drained soil. The preferred soil type is slightly acidic.

White Spot

The White Spot cypress was obtained in 1943 in the nursery of Poulsen, Copenhagen, Denmark. It is a columnar tree-like shape with a random marble discoloration of the needles. In spring, a new growth flashes on its branches in white, and then by the middle of summer it turns green. It is a fast-growing variety. The annual growth of branches will be up to 30 cm per year. Over 10 years of growth, White Spot will reach a height of 2.5 m.

Important! Cypress needles are toxic and may cause skin irritation.

For successful cultivation, you need:

• soil: moist, but well-drained (suitable for most types of acidity);
• Lighting: full sun or partial shade;
• stamina: high.

White Spot is intended for cultivation in containers or in the open field. It easily tolerates winter frosts. But it reacts negatively to drought, therefore, it needs regular watering.

Alumii (Alumii)

Cypress Alumii (Alumii) is a medium-sized tree columnar shape. Over time, its crown narrows and becomes more conical. The height of the plant reaches 10 m with a width of 3 m. The branches are numerous, dense, flat and soft. The needles are blue-green, may be gray-blue. In the spring, a few cones appear at the ends of the shoots.

The variety is highly resistant to frost (up to -29 ° C), tolerates cultivation in the shade and pruning. Designed in 1870 in Worcester, England. It is believed that by decorativeness it surpasses such blue and narrower varieties as Alumii Magnifica and Columnaris.

Alumiigold (Alumiigold)

The variety Alumigold grows slowly, over 10 years growing only up to 2 m. The plant has a characteristic columnar conical shape. On young plants, branches rise almost vertically upward. But with age they change the angle of inclination making the crown wider. Due to the large number of gray-golden shoots, Alumigold looks magnificent and beautiful.

Sunkist

Sunkist is a compact dwarf cypress. It is similar in shape to a Mini Globus. It is a slowly growing coniferous tree with attractive branches of soft green needles. The ends of its shoots are painted in bright yellow and yellow-green shades. The bush is quite attractive and retains its appearance until the fall. But with the onset of cold weather, the yellowness of the needles fades, and it becomes simply green. The cypress has the greatest appeal in the sunny area. In the shade, its golden hues appear poorly.

Sunkist is the owner of a spherical crown with a diameter of about 1 m. It is not cut, as the shape of the crown is supported by the plant on its own, and it is not necessary to reduce it due to the low growth rate. It grows on moist soil with good drainage. It may be slightly acidic, but the variety does not have special requirements for soil quality. Frost resistance corresponds to the 5th zone (-29 ° C).

Important! The root system of the cypress can spread to a distance of 1.5 m, so it can not be planted in a narrow area.

Cream Glow

The Cream Glow variety is a variety of dwarf cypress trees with attractive silver-blue-green needles. The main thing is that the new growth on the branches can be of lighter shades: from cream-yellow to yellow-green. Due to this, it is ideal for mixing with other conifers in a variety of compositions. Also great for growing as a container tree.

Cream Glow reaches a height of 1 m and a diameter of 30 cm in 10 years of growth, forming a dense wide-angle crown. In a young plant, it is conical. The plant tolerates frosts to -29 ° C. It can grow on a site with full or partial sunlight. Preferred soils for it are slightly acidic, clayey or sandy.

Mini Globus

The Mini Globus variety is compact. It is a slowly growing cypress with a dense bush. The slightly drooping tips of the branches give it a rounded shape. His needles are scaly, shiny, smooth.

Did you know? Cypress wood is light, but has high strength and resistance to decay. In East Asia, she goes to the construction of temples.

Young needles are green and yellow, and old ones are dark green. Male cones are small, up to 3 mm long, pink-red. Female - conical, blue-green. They begin to bloom in late April or early May. The growth rate of the variety does not exceed 5–10 cm per year; therefore, over 10 years it reaches a height of 1 m. The plant needs a nutritious, moderately moist soil. It grows well in any light. Easily resists drought, frost, heat, wind and urban atmosphere.

Other varieties

Lavson's cypress is also represented by many other varieties. Among them are compact and tall. And every year at coniferous tree shows you can see both old, well-established varieties, and new ones with more interesting external characteristics for designers.ab = danger]Important! When pruning tall bushes, never remove more than 1/3 of the green mass. This can cause the death of the plant.

Among the most attractive:

• Green Globe - a small dark green rounded bush. Its height is 0.3-0.5 m. Suitable for alpine slides and rock garden;
• Ellwoods Pillar - a columnar tree 1 m high with cirrus-blue needles. Looks great in single compositions;
• Pembury Blue - conical silver-blue tall bush. At the initial stage of development, it is characterized by an irregular shape. After 10 years, the height of the cypress will be 3-4 m;
• Eclipse - a tall tree-like variety reaching a height of 3 m. It is characterized by yellow-green young needles and dark green old ones. This variety looks especially decorative in spring and early summer;
• Gnome represents a spherical hemisphere slowly increasing in size with dark green magnificent needles. As it grows, it will stretch into a cone. And after 10 years of development, the height of the Gnome will be only 30 cm;
• Hillieri - A medium-sized tree-like variety that grows up to 1.5 m in height with golden-green needles. The shape of the tree is conical. The shoots are numerous, so the tree is always distinguished by splendor.

Landing and care

You can plant a cypress at any time during the vegetative period. But it is better to do this in spring at a temperature of + 5 ° C to + 10 ° C. Pick a sunny spot. Dig the soil. If it is very dense, then you need to create a drainage layer of broken brick or pebbles. Too dense soil can be diluted with compost.

Cypress planting:

1. Dig a hole 2 times deeper and wider than the root mass. It is desirable that the pit was square. This contributes to the growth of straight roots deep into the soil layer, and their less twisting inside the round pit.
2. Remove the seedling from the pot.
3. Lay a 20 cm thick drainage layer at the bottom.
4. Then pour prepared soil on top of it.
5. Install a cypress on top.
6. Fill with soil.
7. To reduce moisture evaporation and prevent weed growth, sprinkle the soil with mulch. It can be sawdust or other material of organic origin. The thickness of the sawdust layer is 6 cm, for dense materials such as bark - 10 cm.

Video: Cypress planting and care

The plant is undemanding to care, so it will only need watering and periodic fertilizing. If the cypress tree is planted in spring, summer or in dry weather, water 2-3 times a week for the first few months. Watch the growth and intensify watering if the soil begins to dry out. In the early months of rooting, prevent weeds from appearing around the seedling. They will consume water and nutrients. As a result, cypress development may slow down.

Important! Do not water pot forms of cypress with cold water. From this, the plant experiences stress and slows growth.

Trimming a plant is not necessary. It is enough to simply remove dry, diseased or improperly located branches if they appear. Cypress needs fertilizer in early spring. In addition, in most varieties, this affects the intensity of the color of the needles.

A young bush needs balanced fertilizers. In their composition, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium should be present in equal proportions. If you think that the plant is growing too fast and want to keep it compact, get a mixture with a reduced nitrogen content.

Cypress is one of the best plants for both the home garden and the city square. It can be used as a single plant or as part of a composition. Its large forms can also provide protection to other crops from wind and snow, so when choosing a variety, take into account its growth habits, as well as the needs of your site.