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ConifersTrees

Chamaecyparis pisifera 'True Blue'

Sawara cypress 'True Blue'

A slow-growing, evergreen conifer with a rounded and upright habit. The soft, dense and compact foliage, gives a fluffy appearance and the bright silvery blue-green foliage appears to shimmer. It can be clipped and trimmed into topiary or left natural if you wish it to eventually reach its full height, it has a growth rate of 15-25cm per year

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Ultimate height

2.5–4 metres

Time to ultimate height

20–50 years

Ultimate spread

1.5–2.5 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or North–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Cupressaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Bushy, Columnar upright
Genus: Chamaecyparis are evergreen trees, usually of narrowly ovoid or columnar outline, with much-branched sprays of small scale-like leaves, and small, globose cones; tiny red male cones are conspicuous in a few cultivars
Name status: Unresolved

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in full sun or light shade in a consistently moist but well drained, fertile soil. Prefers acid or neutral soils but will tolerate chalky soil. See Conifer cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by grafting or by semi-hardwood cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Architectural
City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
Rock garden
Low Maintenance

Pruning

Regular pruning is not required; however, the removal of damaged branches or shaping can be done from April to the end of August, or trim twice a year to maintain a shape

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids, juniper scale and shoot-boring moths

Diseases

May be susceptible to honey fungus and Phytophthora root diseases

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