Chamaecyparis obtusa Tsatsumi Gold - Hinoki Cypress

Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Tsatsumi Gold' is a dwarf variety of false cypress with flexible, loose and irregular growth, giving it a unique personality. The tips of its scale-like foliage are a bright golden-yellow, forming a striking harmony with the rest of the greenish-yellow to light green foliage. Slow-growing, it will reach a height of 50 cm (19.7 in) in 10 years. This small, slightly tousled conifer will bring colour and whimsy to small spaces, rockeries or containers. It prefers a sunny exposure, in rich, humus-rich and moist soil that is low in lime and perfectly drained.

Also called Hinoki Cypress from Japan and capable of reaching a height of 50 m (164 ft) in its natural environment, the false cypress is mainly used for making lacquered furniture and for constructing numerous buildings such as palaces in its country of origin. The dwarf variety, 'Tsatsumi Gold', has an upright and spreading, irregular and tortuous habit, growing slowly to form a bush almost as wide as it is tall. After ten years of growth, it will reach a height of 50 to 60 cm (19.7 to 23.6 in), with a diameter of 50 cm (19.7 in). An adult specimen will measure 90 cm (35.4 in) to 1 m (3 ft 4 in) in height, after many years of growth. It bears very thin and sinuate branches, which are sometimes arched, and which are invariably twisted and tortuous. Its foliage consists of tiny flat scales, yellow-golden at the tips of the leaves, with the older foliage blending greenish-yellow to light green. It produces small, round dark brown cones.

Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Tsatsumi Gold' is ideal for container cultivation on a terrace or in small gardens due to its slow growth and small size. With its tortuous silhouette and golden appearance, it will work wonders in your rockeries, alongside darker varieties. The true visual qualities of dwarf conifers naturally impose themselves in the design of a contemporary garden, which prefers the aesthetics of forms, silhouettes and textures over the waltz of flowering. These plants, with their reassuring permanence, structurally anchor a bed, mark pathways and border terraces, easily replacing the strong presence of trimmed boxwood. They serve as a setting for small roses, peonies, or tousled grasses with highly complementary temperaments. They can also be combined with shrubs or ground cover plants such as aubrietas and ceraistes, as well as flowering shrubs. The key is to play with volumes and colours.

Tips: Water during periods of high heat as it is sensitive to drought.