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ConifersShrubs

Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Compacta'

Sawara cypress 'Compacta'

A slow-growing, dwarf conifer, up to 1.5m high in 10 years, with sprays of small, scale-like, dark green leaves with white undersides, and a conical habit forming a dense, flattened mound of foliage

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Ultimate height

1–1.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

10–20 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

Aspect

East–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
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

Grows well in moist but well-drained soil. Tolerant of chalk soils but prefers slightly acidic soil

Propagation

Propagate by semi-hardwood cuttings in late summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Architectural
City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Flower borders and beds
Hedging and screens

Pruning

No pruning required. Trim hedging from late spring to early autumn; do not cut into old wood

Pests

May be susceptible to conifer aphid and juniper scale

Diseases

May be susceptible to honey fungus, Phytophthora root rot and Coryneum canker (see Conifers: brown patches)

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