Hinoki Falsecypress, Hinoki Cypress            kam-e-SIP-a-ris ob-TU-sa

• Conifer, evergreen tree, to 70 ft (20 m) tall and 20 ft (6 m) wide [to 120 ft (36 m) in its native habitat], conical, branches arranged in horizontal planes.  Bark reddish brown, soft and stringy.   Branchlets in thick, horizontal spreading sprays.  Leaves in opposite pairs, scale-like, dense, closely appressed, obtuse, of two sizes, the lateral pair much larger than facial leaves, not glandular, glossy dark green above, light green below and white markings visible.  Cones short-stalked, solitary, globose ("volleyballs"), about 1 cm across, 8-10 scales.
• Hardy to USDA Zone 4     Species from Japan, Taiwan; an important timber tree in Japan, considered sacred in the Shinto faith.
• obtusa: blunt, the leaves
• Species, but more commonly selections, used in bonsai.
• Many selections of this species, Hiller Nurseries (1998) lists 45, a large number are compact/dwarf forms.  Some the larger (non-dwarf) selections include:
  Variegated forms
  • ‘Aurea’  -  a conical tree with golden-yellow foliage.
  • ‘Crippsii’  -  small, loosely conical tree with spreading branches, golden-yellow foliage, slow growing, usually to 10-15 ft (3-4.5 m, but may reach 50 ft.  Considered one of the finest forms; plant in full sun.
  • ‘Fernspray Gold’  -  golden-yellow, with fern-like leaves.
  • ‘Tetragona Aurea’  -  a large shrub or small tree to 30 ft (10 m), branches sparse, wide spreading, foliage golden-yellow in moss-like sprays.
  Larger green forms
  • ‘Filicoides’  -  open, irregular shrub or small tree with long stragley branches, pendulous clusters of fern-like sprays.
  • ‘Gracilis’  -   pyramidal tree with dark green leaves, a very common form.