Hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Filicoides’)

Features and Characteristics

Chamaecyparis obtusa is native to Japan. It is commonly called hinoki cypress or hinoki falsecypress. It is an evergreen conifer that grows 50-75’ tall (to 120′ tall in its native habitat) with a pyramidal shape. It features spreading branches with flattened horizontal branchlets that droop at the ends. Dark green scale-like leaves in two sizes have white markings beneath. Crushed foliage is aromatic. Reddish brown bark will peel on mature trees. Small, 8-scaled, greenish-brown (female) to orange brown (male) cones. Although species trees are uncommonly planted in the home landscape, a large number of compact and dwarf cultivars have become very popular for use as small accents/specimens, hedges, screens and foundation/rock garden plants.

Genus name comes from Greek chamai meaning dwarf or to the ground and kyparissos meaning cypress tree.

Specific epithet means rounded in reference to its leaves being blunt/rounded at the tips.

In Japan, hinoki means fire tree.

‘Filicoides’ (often commonly called fernspray hinoki cypress) grows slowly as an open shrub or as a small narrow tree to 20′ tall. It features pendant flattened sprays of fern-like foliage on straggly branches. Filicoides means fern-like.