Chamaecyparis lawsoniana Yellow Spire - Lawson Cypress

Chamaecyparis lawsonia Yellow Spire is a small conifer with a slightly gangly appearance and a conical and very narrow habit, which gives it a very unique silhouette. Its curiously twisted feathery branches are covered in spring with red pollen sacs contrasting with its bright green-yellow young foliage which becomes bluish-green with age. Not exceeding 1.50m (4ft 11in) in height at maturity, it grows slowly and is particularly suitable for permanent decoration in small spaces, rockeries and containers. It thrives in sunny locations and cool, fertile, slightly limestone, neutral or slightly acidic soils.

The Lawson Cypress, sometimes called false-cypress, is a majestic conifer of the Cupressaceae family native to the moist coastal forests of the northwest United States. In its natural environment, it often reaches heights of over 30m (98ft 5in), 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, bluish-green foliage. It has given rise to numerous cultivars, including a wide range of small-sized plants.

The Yellow Spire variety is a dwarf form of this species, but also a mutation of the Chamaecyparis lawsonia Little Spire. This conifer has a very narrow arrow-like habit, not exceeding 1.20m (3ft 11in) in height and 40cm (15.7in) in width after 10 years of cultivation. At maturity, it will form a very slender small bush, on average 2.75m (9ft) tall by 1.05m (3ft 5in) wide, with tousled growth. It produces numerous slender and irregular flattened branches, covered with two types of scale-like leaves, of a lovely acidic green colour when they emerge at the tips of the branches in spring, turning bluish-green in winter. In May, the tree offers a stunning spectacle, when its acidic green foliage is covered for a few days with numerous bright red male cones followed by the appearance of a cloud of red pollen.

The Chamaecyparis lawsonia Yellow Spire, with its unusual silhouette and small size, is ideal for decorating a rockery or flowerbed, or planted in groups of 3 in a container. It does not require pruning. The architectural qualities of dwarf conifers naturally impose themselves in the design of a contemporary garden, which prefers the aesthetics of shapes, silhouettes, and textures to flowers. These plants durably structure a flowerbed, mark pathways and border terraces, easily substituting the strong presence of trimmed boxwood. They serve as a backdrop for small roses, peonies, or tousled grasses with a very complementary form. They can also be associated 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.