Chamaecyparis lawsoniana Rimpelaar - Lawson Cypress

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana Rimpelaar is a dwarf variety of Lawson's Cypress that is interesting for its very dense ball-shaped habit and the beautiful colour of its foliage, bluish green with grey reflections. Its numerous very fine branches are covered with non-prickly needle-like scales, with a feathery appearance and a soft touch. Decorative all year round, slow-growing and not bulky, this conifer is ideal for enhancing small spaces, both in the ground and in pots.

The Lawson Cypress, in Latin Chamaecyparis lawsoniana, sometimes nicknamed false cypress, is a majestic conifer of the cupressaceae family native to the humid coastal forests of the northwest United States. In its natural habitat, it often reaches over 30m (98ft 5in) in height, with a trunk approaching 1.20m (3ft 11in) in diameter. Its habit is straight and conical, and its trailing branches form soft curtains adorned with fairly dark green foliage with bluish reflections. It has given rise to numerous cultivars, among which there is a wide choice of plants of modest stature, better suited to the size of our gardens.

The 'Rimpelaar' variety was discovered in Molenschot, the Netherlands. It is a "witch's broom" that appeared on a Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Ellwoodii' planted in Rimpelaar Street in this Dutch municipality. A witch's broom is a natural mutation frequently induced by the action of an aphid. This "anomaly" results in the formation of an intense branching that forms a ball, most often sterile, which shows leaves with a different appearance or colour. This 'Rimpelaar' cultivar shows a very dense, globose habit from a young age, becoming more regular over time. At the age of 10, it will form a bush of 60cm (23.6in) in all directions. Ultimately, its dimensions are estimated at 1.50m (4ft 11in) in all directions. It produces numerous slender and flattened branches covered with scale-like leaves, bluer when they emerge at the ends of the branches in spring, then taking on a more greyish hue the rest of the year.

The Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Rimpelaar' is a beautiful grey-blue cushion to be placed in a rock garden, a small urban garden, or a contemporary terrace. The architectural qualities of dwarf conifers deserve to be invited more often in our gardens, where they bring a permanent structure. These plants are discreet in summer and become prominent again in winter, when flowers have deserted our gardens. Perfect in a contemporary setting, conifers also have their place in more classic or even romantic landscapes: they mark pathways, border terraces and adorn the corner of a large shrub bed. To accompany the Lawson Cypress 'Rimpelaar', consider modest to medium-sized grasses such as Stipa tenuifolia, Pennisetum Hameln Gold, or Miscanthus Apetitiv.