Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Compacta'

RHS Plant Profile
Sawara cypress 'Compacta'

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Conifers Shrubs

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

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

1-1.5 metres

Max Spread

1.5-2.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
10–20 years
Max Spread
1.5-2.5 metres
Max Height
1-1.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

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)
H7

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

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)