Cypress: an ornamental coniferous plant to decorate your site. Cypress - cultivation and care, description and photo Cypress description

Cypress (Chamaecyparis) - evergreen conifer perennial from the Cypress family, which can be found in the garden in the form of a tree and on the windowsill as indoor plant. North American countries are considered to be the homeland of such species as “Thuevodny”, “Lawsona” and “Nutkanskiy”, and the cypress “Mourning”, “Pea-fruited”, “Dumb” and “Formosan” come from East Asian countries. In the natural environment, the height of the tree sometimes reaches 60-75 meters.

In appearance, the culture is very similar to thuja and cypress. Some of its species are very winter-hardy; they do not require additional shelter for the winter period, but the plant has difficulty withstanding the hot and dry summer period. The cypress consists of a straight trunk, the brown surface of which is covered with numerous small scales, a cone-shaped crown and needle-shaped or scale-like leaves of green, yellow or gray shades. On prostrate or drooping branches, cone-shaped fruits with a diameter of more than 10 mm with seeds inside appear.

Selecting a location

Depending on the variety, a place should be chosen with varying degrees of illumination during the day. For example, a cypress tree with needles of yellow-green shades needs bright and long-lasting lighting, and trees with foliage of green-blue shades can grow well in semi-shaded areas of the garden. It is advisable that the landing site is not in a lowland with accumulation of cold air masses and high humidity. The soil must be fertile, with all the necessary nutrients, good drainage and non-calcareous. The most favorable soil is loamy.

Preparation of the soil on the site and the planting hole begins in autumn period. A twenty-centimeter drainage layer consisting of river sand and broken red brick is poured onto the bottom of the hole, and then half of it is filled with a special soil mixture. Its composition: humus turf soil (3 parts each), peat (2 parts) and fine-grained sand (1 part). The substrate will settle before spring, and at the end of April it will warm up well and be ready for planting. Directly on the day of planting, the hole is watered generously with 2-3 buckets of water.

The depth of the planting hole is about 1 meter, the width is 50-60 cm. The distance between plantings is at least 1 meter.

Most often, cypress is grown from a seedling purchased in a specialized store or nursery, the root part of which must be in a moist earthen coma when purchased. Before planting, the root part must be watered with a special preparation “Kornevin” (1 package is required for 5 liters of water), which promotes the formation of the root system and protects it from harmful climatic and weather influences.

How to plant cypress

The prepared seedling is placed in the center of the planting hole and gradually filled with an earthen mixture consisting of three parts of humus and turf soil, two parts of peat, one part of sand and three hundred grams of nitroammophoska. The root collar should remain 10-20 cm above the surface of the earth, since the substrate will settle after some time. The first watering is carried out immediately. After the soil settles, it is recommended to add required amount soil mixture, apply a mulch layer and install a support and a young tree tied to it.

Caring for an evergreen perennial includes procedures that are important for it and simple for the gardener, during which the plant will fully grow and develop and retain its decorative qualities.

Watering and spraying

One of the most important procedures when caring for a coniferous tree is regular moistening in the form of watering and spraying. At moderate summer temperatures, watering is carried out once every 7-10 days. Each specimen requires 8-10 liters of irrigation water. During periods of long absence of rain and at elevated air temperatures, perennials can be watered more often and in larger volumes. It is recommended to spray water on an adult plant at least once a week, and seedlings require this procedure every day.

Mulching, loosening and weeding

A mulching layer consisting of peat or wood shavings retains moisture for a long time and reduces the amount of watering. With mulch, watering should be carried out only after the top layer of soil has dried. Another advantage of the mulch layer is the absence of weeds and the need for loosening and weeding of the soil.

Fertilizer application

Additional nutritional fertilizers are applied to the soil only during June and July. The plants are fed for the first time only in the third month after planting the seedlings. Complex mineral fertilizers It is recommended to dilute 2 times less concentration than indicated in the instructions.

Mature crops are fertilized regularly with a break of fifteen days, but no longer than until the end of July. You can use complex fertilizers containing nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. Good feedback deserved the drug "Kemira", recommended for coniferous crops. The drug in powder form is applied to the soil surface in tree trunk circle(approximately 100-150 g per plant) and embedded in the ground by loosening or digging.

In order for the cypress tree to prepare for the winter period, it is recommended to stop fertilizing at the end of July.

Transfer

Transplanting a coniferous perennial is not an easy task, since it has a branched horizontal root part, and removing it from the ground will be very troublesome. The rules for transplanting are absolutely the same as when planting a seedling. The favorable time for this is March-April.

Trimming

Regular pruning (sanitary and formative) is another mandatory item caring for cypress trees. With the arrival of early spring, the tree is being prepared for the new season and all dried, frozen and damaged branches are pruned. You should not leave bare branches on the tree, as they will no longer grow foliage and will dry out over time.

No earlier than a year after planting the crop or when transferring it to another growing location, you can start forming the crown. Regular pruning helps maintain it in a cone or pyramid shape. With each cutting, it is not recommended to remove more than thirty percent of the green mass.

The last haircut of the season is carried out between September and November. It is necessary to cut off a third of the young growth.

Preparing for winter and wintering

Cypress is a frost-resistant crop, but in the first 3-4 years of life it is still recommended to cover it for the winter from bright sunlight and severe frosts. The covering material can be burlap, kraft paper or acrylic.

In regions with cold climates, cypress is often kept in a large wooden barrel (tub), which is brought into a room with an average temperature of 18-20 degrees during the winter months. In Ukrainian, Moldavian and Crimean gardens, winters are much milder and warmer, so crops do not need additional shelter. The coniferous crop will easily overwinter outdoors.

For propagation of wild species, seeds are more suitable; for reliability, it is better to use cuttings, and for simplicity and ease - layering.

Propagation by seeds

This method is recommended to be used as a selection experiment. A feature of cypress seeds is their durability. For 15 years they maintain high germination and quality characteristics. Before sowing, it is advisable to carry out stratification. After sowing the seeds in planting boxes with a light and loose substrate, you need to transfer them to the open air, cover with a layer of snow and leave until early spring arrives. In spring, containers are placed in a bright, warm room and moistened regularly. After the mass appearance of seedlings, picking is carried out if necessary. As the seedlings grow and the weather gets warmer, it is recommended to start hardening off young plants (several hours daily). On open ground seedlings are transferred in established warm weather. For the winter, you will need a reliable shelter that will save young specimens from severe cold.

Propagation by cuttings

The tips of the shoots are used for cuttings. The length of the cuttings is from 5 to 15 cm. From the lower half of the cuttings you need to cut off all the needles and plant them in a special substrate consisting of perlite (1 part), fine-grained river sand (1 part) and crushed pine or spruce bark (1-2 handfuls) . For each cutting you need a separate flower container, which, together with the cutting, must be covered with a bag of thick transparent polyethylene. In such greenhouse conditions, increased air humidity is created, which will allow the cuttings to form their own root part within 40-60 days.

Rooted cuttings are planted in open garden areas, covered with a cut plastic bottle and left for wintering without additional insulation.

Reproduction by layering

It is most convenient to propagate by layering those varieties of cypress whose shoots grow low to the soil surface and even creep along it. For propagation it is necessary to use the lowest branches. A transverse cut is made on them, bent to the ground and secured with a staple or wire. The middle part is covered with earth, and the top should remain above it. It is important to moisten the soil in a timely manner, and after the root part has formed on the cuttings, they can be separated from the adult plant and replanted. Transplantation of layering can be carried out in spring or autumn, depending on the timing of root formation.

A cypress tree in a garden plot is not only a worthy decoration, but also a great source of pride for the owner.

Diseases and pests

Cypress is highly resistant to diseases and pests, but sometimes such problems arise due to improper watering, disturbances temperature regime or poor living conditions. Possible pests are scale insects and spider mite, diseases – root rot.

A tick infestation can be detected by the appearance of negative signs on the plant, namely in large quantities yellow leaves and massive loss of leaf parts in the future. Special tools will help destroy these pests. chemicals– “Apollo”, “Neoron” and “Nissoran”. Treatment is carried out repeatedly, once a week, until the insects are completely destroyed.

The appearance of a harmful scale insect on a cypress tree leads to the drying out and falling off of a large amount of the leaf part, since it feeds exclusively on the sap of the coniferous plant. At the initial stage, you can get rid of the pest by spraying with “Nuprid”, which must be repeated at least 3-4 times. In case of more serious damage to coniferous crops, you need to use the same means as for killing spider mites.

If there is no drainage layer in the planting hole when planting a cypress tree or if its volume is insufficient, irrigation water stagnates in the root part, which leads to the occurrence of root rot. This fungal disease, if not diagnosed in time, can completely destroy the plant. On early stages In case of disease, the tree must be removed from the ground, rotten roots must be completely cut off, cut areas and healthy parts must be treated with a fungicide and planted in another place with suitable soil and drainage. A plant with completely rotten roots must be destroyed.

Cypress consists of 7 main species and several hundred varieties. They all differ in height, color and shape of leaves and crown size, growth rate, adaptability to climatic and weather conditions and many other qualities. Among their large number there are the most popular and sought-after varieties for amateur and professional gardeners.

Blunt cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa)

This species has Japanese roots. Features: height - 40-50 meters, trunk diameter - 2 meters, bark with a smooth light surface, thick shoots, needle color - yellow-green. Varieties - Sanderi, Contorta, Albopicta.

Thuja cypress (Chamaecyparis thyoides)

This species is native to North American states. Features: specific aroma of needles when rubbed, red-brown tint of the bark, green-blue needles, trunk diameter - 90-100 cm, average tree height - 25 meters. Varieties – Konica, Endelainensis.

Formosan cypress (Chamaecyparis formosensis)

Not a winter-hardy species, most often grown in greenhouses, its homeland is Taiwan. Features: average height in wildlife– 50-60 meters, trunk – up to 6 meters in diameter, dark green-blue needles.

Pea cypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera)

This species is of Japanese origin, the average height in the natural environment is 25-30 meters. Features: cone-shaped openwork crown with outstretched shoots, gray-blue needles, red-brown trunk bark and small yellow-brown cones. Popular varieties are Boulevard, Nana, Filifera.

Mourning cypress (Chamaecyparis funebris)

A low-growing species with a height of no more than 20 meters, common in the mountainous regions of China and Japan. The wide, dense cone-shaped crown consists of hanging shoots with dark brown rounded cones with a diameter of about ten millimeters, located on short cuttings. The tree is a “weeping” species. It is recommended to grow as a potted crop.

Lawson's cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana)

American tall species (up to 70 meters) with a narrow cone-shaped crown and inclined top. The lower branches touch the surface of the soil, the needles are shiny bright green. Varieties - Serprise, Lawson Fletchery, Lawson Elwoody.

Nootka cypress or yellow cypress (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis)

In natural natural conditions this species is often found on the Pacific coast. The average height is about 40 meters, a dense crown with dark green needles, bark with shades of gray and Brown and spherical cones. Varieties – Glauka, Pendula.

Cypress - care, reproduction, planting. Decorating flower beds (video)

Family: cypress (Cupressaceae).

Motherland

Zone temperate climate Northern Hemisphere - Mediterranean, North America, southern China.

Form: evergreen trees and shrubs.

Description

Cypress is an evergreen tree, less commonly a shrub. Height up to 25 m. Cypress is a tree that grows very slowly. It reaches medium size at the age of 80-100 years. The crown is pyramidal or spreading, occasionally all branches are in the same horizontal plane. Branches branched many times. The needles are evergreen, scale-like, cross-paired. Cypress cones are woody, rounded with numerous shield-shaped scales. Cypress seeds are flat and numerous. They reach maturity in the second year.

IN modern classification There are from 12 to 25 species of cypress; less than 10 species are used in ornamental gardening.

Arizona cypress (C. arizonica). Homeland - southwestern USA, Mexico. In its natural environment it grows in Crimea and Transcarpathia. Height up to 21 m. Growth rate is high. The color of young bark is gray, old bark is red-brown, the bark peels off unevenly in long narrow stripes. The crown shape is wide-pin-shaped. The branches are spaced horizontally from each other. The color of the needles is bluish-green. The needles contain ether-bearing glands. The cones are large, up to 3 cm in diameter, with thick, sharp scales.

, or common cypress (C. sempervirens). In its natural environment it grows in western Asia and southern Europe, in the Mediterranean. Height up to 30 m. Growth rate is high. The lifespan of a tree is up to 2000 years. The trunk diameter is up to 60 cm. The trunk is straight. The color of young bark is grayish-reddish, old bark is brownish-gray. The crown shape is pyramidal or spreading. The needles are small, pressed to the branches, the color is bluish-green or bluish-green. The needles contain ether-bearing glands. The cones are large, up to 3 cm in diameter, with thick, sharp scales, the color of the cones is grayish-brown.

Italian cypress (C. italian). Homeland - Mediterranean. Dwarf species. Height up to 7 m. The trunk is bare at the base. The crown is lush.

California cypress, or cypress Gauvina (C. Goveniana). Homeland - North America. In appearance it is similar to large-fruited cypress, but its cones are smaller.

Kashmir cypress (C. corneyana). Homeland - Himalayas, Northern India. The most elegant type of cypress. Height up to 45 m. Growth rate is high. The trunk diameter is up to 70 cm. The shape of the crown is narrow pyramidal, quite specific: the main branches are raised, and thin long young shoots are lowered. The color of the needles is bluish-green, changing to intense bluish in the heat.

(C. macrocarpa). Homeland - southern USA. The height of the cypress is up to 25 m. The growth rate is high. The trunk is straight. The crown shape of a young tree is columnar, while that of an adult tree is spreading. A multi-branched plant, the branches extend horizontally. The color of the needles is yellowish-green or golden. The needles have a lemon scent. The cones are large, up to 3.8 cm in diameter.

McNab Cypress (C. Macnabiana). Height up to 12 m. Crown shape is wide-pyramidal. There is a shrubby form of the plant.

, or Lusitanian cypress (C. lusitanica). Homeland - southern USA, Mexico. Height up to 40 m. Tree lifespan - up to 2000 years. The trunk diameter is up to 16 m. The color of the bark is reddish-brown. The crown shape of an adult tree is wide-pyramidal, while that of an old tree is tent-shaped, spreading, with drooping branches. The branches extend almost from the base of the trunk. The needles are tightly pressed to the branches. Cones up to 1.5 cm in diameter, the color of young cones is bluish-green, mature ones are brown.

(C. funebris). Homeland - China. Height up to 18 m. Branches drooping. The color of the needles is light green. The diameter of the cones is 1.3 cm.

Growing conditions

All varieties of cypress need different conditions growing. Therefore, before growing cypress, you need to study the specifics of a particular species.

Mexican cypress is quite capricious, does not tolerate drought very well, and needs more moisture, not only in the soil, but also in the air. Not frost-resistant. For this type of cypress, different types are suitable, both fresh calcareous and red earth, the main thing is that it is well drained.

McNab cypress tolerates frost and drought better than other types of cypress. Unfortunately, this attractive garden cypress is the least common.

Italian cypress is frost-resistant. The soil for this type of cypress is preferably loose, well-drained, which protects its powerful root system from waterlogging. Italian cypress definitely needs direct sunlight.

Cashmere cypress, more than other varieties of cypress, needs warmth and abundant watering.

Large-fruited cypress grows best in light loamy, well-drained soil, but can be planted in sandy or calcareous soil. Shade-tolerant, but prefers diffused light. Does not tolerate drought well. Frost-resistant only down to -15C. Needs to large quantities moisture in the air.

California cypress is very unpretentious: shade-tolerant, drought-resistant, undemanding to the soil and its degree of moisture.

Arizona cypress is frost-resistant down to -25C. Drought resistant. Photophilous.

Evergreen cypress is not frost-hardy and needs very moist air. The soil for this type of cypress must be constantly moist. At the same time, it tolerates short periods of drought and temperature drops down to -20C. Shade-tolerant, undemanding to soil.

Application

Cypress is a very spectacular plant. IN landscape design Cypress trees are used for both outdoor and home landscaping. The nuances of decorating a garden with cypress trees depend on the conditions under which the cypress trees are grown.

McNab cypresses and Californian cypresses perfectly decorate and strengthen rocky and sandy areas of the garden, and look great in small solo or mixed group plantings. They provide protection from the wind, so such a cypress tree in the country will be not only a decoration.

Arizona, Mexican, and evergreen cypress tolerate pruning well, which makes them beautiful plants to form a high .

The most decorative cypress is the pyramidal form of evergreen cypress. A pyramidal cypress in a small group monoplanting will become the pearl of the garden. Horizontal shape is good for large group plantings and trimmed walls.

Large-fruited cypress is a very impressive container and indoor plant.

House cypress is a popular plant for indoor gardening. Many varieties of cypress are actively used as. You can keep cypress in a pot at home in the autumn-winter period, and decorate your garden with it in spring and summer.

In addition, cypress wood is actively used in construction, shipbuilding, arts and crafts, and also as a source aromatic oils. Medicinal properties cypress trees have been known since antiquity.

Care

Even the most frost-resistant varieties of cypress in central Russia in the first years of life need shelter for the winter. Young cypress in the garden should also be tied up to prevent it from being broken by the wind.

In spring and summer, cypress is watered abundantly, otherwise the cypress dries out; in autumn - moderately. Street cypress, which is carefully cared for, in central Russia grows almost as powerful and spectacular as its southern counterparts.

Many questions about how to care for cypress arise from those who grow cypress at home. Thus, periodic replanting of cypress is an event typical specifically for indoor gardening. Homemade cypress requires high air humidity, otherwise the cypress turns yellow.

Indoor cypress, cared for correctly, will please its owners for many years.

Reproduction

Cypress propagates by seeds and cuttings.

Growing cypress from seeds is a fairly simple procedure: mature cypress seeds have a high percentage of germination, in the first year of life the tree is used as a home cypress and decorates the room, then a cypress in a pot can be placed outside as a container plant in the summer, and the already matured, strong use the tree as a street cypress. Even an inexperienced gardener can grow cypress from seeds on his own.

Cypress is a tree that can also be propagated by cuttings. It is important to choose a cutting with a heel so that it takes root. Propagating cypress by cuttings requires some practice.

In addition, you can buy cypress in various nurseries (both young cypress seedlings and).

Diseases and pests

The most common damage to cypress is yellowing. Cypress turns yellow from excessive dry air (especially when grown indoors). Due to insufficient watering, the cypress dries out.

Diseases of cypress and damage by its pests are more typical for indoor plantings cypress Cypress is a plant that, when planted in the ground, is practically not susceptible to diseases.

Popular varieties and forms

Varieties and forms of Arizona cypress

‘Aschersoniana’- low-growing cypress.

‘Сompacta’- shrub form with a rounded crown and bluish-green needles.

‘Сonica’- a variety with a pin-shaped crown and bluish-gray needles. Not frost-resistant.

‘Fastigiata’- squat form with bluish-gray needles.

‘Glauca’- a variety with a slightly columnar crown and silver-gray needles. This cypress is not frost-hardy.

‘Pyramidalis’- blue cypress with a conical crown.

Varieties and forms of evergreen cypress

‘Fastigiata Forluselu’- dwarf cypress.

‘Fastigiata montrosa’- dwarf form.

‘Horizontalis’- a form with a wide pyramidal crown and almost horizontally growing branches.

'Indica'- form with a columnar crown.

'Strict'- pyramidal cypress, widespread in the Crimea and the Mediterranean.

Varieties and forms of Mexican cypress

‘Benthamii’- a form with an elegant crown and bluish-green color of the needles.

'Lindleyi'- green cypress with large cones.

'Tristis'- a form with a columnar crown and original branches growing downward.

Varieties and forms of large-fruited cypress

'Goldcrest'- cypress ‘Goldcrest’ is distinguished by the golden color of its needles and the pyramidal shape of its crown.

‘Goldcrest Wilma’- cypress ‘Goldcrest Wilma’ has bright yellow shoots.

If you want to decorate own house, the garden is beautiful, useful plant, then plant pea cypress. During the cold season, you can easily move the tree into the house. This is quite unusual for an outdoor plant. Such resistance to change climatic conditions It is more typical for herbaceous perennials, but not for trees.

What is cypress

Cypress loves bright sun, abundant watering, and does not tolerate dust. This type of plant grows in areas where sun and moisture abound: China and Japan. Cypress belongs to the coniferous, evergreen, ornamental trees that are most often used to decorate flower beds and gardens, that is, used in landscape design.

To date, 7 species of plants are known, two of which have taken root in our climatic conditions. It should be noted that each individual species has its own color, height and crown shape.

General characteristics

The crown of the tree is narrow, cone-shaped, with flat branches located in a horizontal plane. The shrub reproduces in the natural environment by seeds and cuttings, and in the artificial environment by grafting. In natural climatic conditions, decorative the tree can grow up to 70 meters, on the territory of our state it usually freezes slightly, so only low-growing specimens are found.

Cypress does not tolerate the following natural conditions:

• frost;
• excessive sun;
• abundance, lack of moisture;
• dry air.

Thanks to frost-resistant plant varieties, we have the opportunity to decorate our own flower beds with these ornamental trees. Cypress considered one of the most revered plants in Japan, which is planted near monasteries, temples, and residential buildings. The height of the crown of a tree depends not only on the type of plant, but also on the climatic conditions where it grows.

Cypress Filifera Nana

This is a dwarf coniferous shrub of the Cypress family, which is widely used in landscape design. The pea cypress of this species is a dense shrub of small height, characteristic feature which is hemispherical in shape. Its bark is reddish-brown and its scale-like needles are green. The spherical cones, which grow within a year, reach a diameter of 6 mm.

Filifera Nana develops quite slowly; in 10-25 years the shrub can grow to a height of only 50 cm, about 1 m in width. Thanks to such small sizes, the plant can be grown in containers. The shrub propagates by cuttings, loves light, moist fertile soil.

Landing

The best period for planting shrubs is spring or autumn, around the beginning of May or the beginning of September. Its root collar should be located at the level of the soil surface. It is not recommended to plant the plant in lowlands, which tend to trap cold air.

• Soil for planting ornamental shrub must be prepared in advance. It should be light and contain a sufficient amount useful substances. As a fertilizer, it is better to use humus or specialized mixtures for coniferous vegetation.
• You need to dig a hole in the prepared soil small sizes. Its depth will depend on the length of the plant's root.
• The seedling is placed in a dug hole, covered with loose, fertilized soil, while the root collar should remain unburdened.

Watering

It is worth watering the filifera cypress sparingly, that is, when the soil begins to dry out. Only soft water is used for this purpose. room temperature. In spring, the plant needs to be watered more abundantly so that it wakes up faster after a long cold winter.

Fertilizer

It is best to feed cypress in the fall, when the plant is preparing to go to sleep, and also in the spring, while the plant has not yet woken up. As a fertilizer, it is worth using specialized compounds for coniferous trees or natural humus.

Recommendation! When using specialized nutritional formulations, you must first read the instructions from the manufacturer, since excessive feeding can negatively affect the plant, even to the point of its death.

Insulation for the winter

Ornamental shrub doesn't like frost. Therefore, it needs to be insulated for the winter.

Insulation material:

• spruce spruce branches;
• sackcloth;
• agrofibre;
• cotton fabric.

Before covering a plant with one of the listed insulation materials, you need to arrange a frame for it, for example, from sticks or twigs.

You should not use materials made on the basis of polyvinyl chloride as insulation, since as a result greenhouse effect in the spring the bush may burn out, and root system will freeze.

Simple planting rules and careful care will allow you to grow a plant that will delight you with its beautiful appearance and add attractiveness to the landscape of a country house.

Cypress is a tree with a pyramidal crown, reminiscent of a thuja. The bark is brownish-brown, scaly or cracked. Skeletal branches drooping or prostrate. Cypress shoots are somewhat flattened.

Leaves (needles) are opposite, arranged crosswise, scale-like. In varieties and young plants, the needles may be needle-shaped (juvenile form) or have an intermediate appearance.

Male cones are oval and small. Females are round, with 6-12 thyroid scales. Seeds number 2 (5), with wide wings. They ripen in the first year (with the exception of K. Nootkan).

There are 6 species in the genus, which are found in North America, Japan and Taiwan. For middle zone three can be recommended for cultivation and two more for testing and testing agricultural technology.

Growing cypress

Peasant cypress, arborvitae and Nootka cypress prefer well-lit areas, although they tolerate slight shading. They don't like drought. When growing cypress, remember that these trees need fertile soil and watering. With a few exceptions, they rarely get sunburned in the spring sun. Types of blunt cypress grow successfully in areas with light sandy soil And moist air. Lawson's cypress varieties, which are not winter-hardy and prone to scorching, can be grown in a creeping form, bending the branches to the ground so that in winter they are completely covered with snow.

All varieties and types of cypress are used in groups with other shrubs, in rockeries - depending on the size of the plants.

Pea cypress - Chamaecyparis pisifera

IN good conditions tall tree. Reaches a height of 10 m, at the age of 10 years - 1.5 m. The bark is reddish, smooth, peeling off in thin strips. The branches are arranged like a fan in a horizontal plane.

The needles are about 1.5 mm long, loose with protruding pointed tips, dark green above and with whitish stomatal stripes on the underside. Flat needles on the back with a keel and a poorly developed gland. The cones are 6 mm in diameter, dark brown, with 10 (12) scales that have a dent in the middle and a small spike.

Homeland - Japan. Introduced in 1861

One of the most winter-hardy species. Practically does not burn.

Pea cypress and its varieties

About 100 varieties of pea cypress have been registered. Many can be grown in Russia.

Cypress ‘Aurea’ (before 1865). Habitus is similar to that of the wild form. At 10 years old, height 3 m, width 1.5 m (Moscow). The needles, especially on young shoots, are yellow and scaly. Sports from the wild form. May burn.

Cypress ‘Baby Blue’ (‘New Boulevard’) (1993, Australia). Squarrosa Group. A dwarf copy of the well-known ‘Boulevard’ variety with twisted shoots and needles. Is his sport.

Cypress ‘Boulevard’ (1934, Canada). Mutation of the ‘Sguarrosa’ variety. The crown is lower and more compact; in good conditions it can reach 5 m or more. The needles are juvenile, protruding and bent inward, silver-blue, grayish in winter with a bronze tint. On sale very often. It burns regularly, but usually recovers in the summer.

Cypress ‘Plumosa’ (1861, Japan). Plumosa Group. The habit is similar to that of the wild form, but grows more slowly. At 10 years old, height 1.3 m, width 0.6 m (Moscow). The shape of the needles is intermediate between simple wild and ‘Squarrosa’: it is awl-shaped, but slightly protruding, 3-4 mm long. The color is always pure green, this group does not have such blue forms as in the ‘Squarrosa’ group.

Cypress ‘Plumosa Albopicta’ (1884, Japan).

Cypress: other varieties in the photo

Cypress ‘Filifera’ (before 1861, Japan). Filifera Group. At 30 years old, the height and width are about 2 m (Moscow). An oval shrub or low pyramidal tree with widely spread, long and drooping rope-like branches. The lateral branches on them are greatly reduced and spaced. The needles are sharp, sparse, with protruding ends. Developed in Japan and brought to England in 1861.

Cypress ‘Filifera Aurea’ (before 1891). Filifera Group. As you can see in the photo, this type of cypress, unlike the ‘Filifera’ variety, has yellow needles.

Cypress ‘Filifera Sungold’ (‘Sungold’) (1969, Canada) Filifera Group. The declared height is up to 1 m, crown diameter is up to 2 m. The same dwarf form, but with yellow needles, especially bright on young shoots. On the old ones it is greenish. The shoots are coarser than those of 'Aurea'. The variety is considered not susceptible sunburn. The similar older cultivar 'Filifera Aurea Nana' is a highly variable cultivar that often becomes similar to 'Filifera Aurea' with age.

Cypress ‘Hime Sawara’. Dwarf. The crown is rounded up to 15 cm in diameter. The branches are dense and protruding. The needles are green, small, scale-like, tightly fitting. Often used for bonsai and indoor maintenance.

Cypress ‘Gold Dust’ (before 1991, Canada). Sometimes considered as a synonym for ‘Plumosa Aurea’. Other authors believe that this is a dwarf variety with a very dense, compact, cushion-shaped crown. Branching is frequent, branches are small. Individual branches are creamy. Needles of the ‘Plumosa’ type. When grown in the shade it produces reversions.

Cypress: dwarf varieties and trees of medium height

Cypress ‘Compacta’. Dwarf dense form, up to 1 m high and wide. The branching is very dense, the crown is neat, the ends of the branches are slightly bent. The needles are scaly, bright green.

Cypress ‘Golden Mop’ (1960). The crown is dense, round or in the form of a mop. It grows slowly. The shoots are thread-like, thick, drooping. The needles are bright yellow - the brightest variety of this type. May burn in spring. Under this name they may offer a similar, but more powerful ‘Filifera Aurea Nana’, cut from side shoots and therefore growing slowly.

Cypress ‘Hime Sawara’ (‘Hime Savara’). A miniature variety with a dense rounded crown, similar to a tennis ball. The branches are short, branched, and dense. The needles are scaly, very small, pressed.

Cypress ‘Nana’. Dwarf. A shorter and slower growing variety than ‘Compacta’. The crown is cushion-shaped, height no more than 60 cm with a width of 1.5 m. The needles are small, bluish. A number of similar varieties ‘Compacta Variegata’, ‘Nana Albovariegata’, ‘Nana Aureovariegata’ have white and cream ends of shoots of different shades. A similar more modern variety with yellowish shoot tips is ‘Nana Bergh’s’.

Cypress ‘Filifera Gracilis’. Filifera Group. Dwarf form of ‘Filifera’ with slow growth. The needles are yellowish-green.

‘Filifera Nana’ (1891, Germany). Filifera Group. At 25 years, the height is about 40 (60) cm and the width is 90 cm. Dwarf dense form with a spherical or flattened crown and thin cord-like shoots falling to the ground. The needles are dark green. The crown is wide, the branches are ascending, with outstretched ends. The needles are dark green, individual branches are cream. The color is brighter in spring and early summer.

Cypress ‘Squarrosa’ (1843, Japan). Squarrosa Group. Potentially in good conditions tree average size with a dense crown. The branches are horizontal with hanging ends. The branches are thin and weak. The needles are subulate, protruding, about 6 mm long, relatively soft, silvery-gray.

There are many forms in this group, differing in needle color and growth.

‘Plumosa Aurea’ (1861, Japan). Medium sized tree. The needles are golden in color, brighter in spring. Different clones may vary in color. It is considered less winter-hardy than the similar variety ‘Sulphurea’.

Cypress ‘Plumosa Flavescens’ (1891). Low oval or wide pyramidal shape. The needles are creamy when blooming, then yellowish. It turns green easily.

Cypress ‘Squarrosa Argentea’ (1843, Japan). At 10 years old, height 1.2 m, width 0.5 m (Moscow). Dense shrub with irregular ovoid crown. The branches are thin and arranged randomly. The needles are subulate, protruding, about 6 mm long, relatively soft, silver-gray. May burn.

Cypress ‘Squarrosa Aurea’ (1866). Higher than the previous one. The crown shape is the same. The needles are yellowish-silver.

Cypress ‘Squarrosa Dumosa’ (before 1892, Germany). Up to 1 m tall. The needles are gray-green in summer, with a bronze tint in winter.

Cypress ‘Squarrosa Intermedia’ (1923). Potentially up to 2 (3) m in height. At a young age, the crown is compact and round in shape, then becomes conical and loosens. Some clones produce reversions - long, about 1 m, weakly branched shoots, covered with ordinary scale-like needles. Highly variable in color and shape, due to unpredictable reversions and use for cloning various forms shoots. Among these clones are ‘Dwarf Blue’ and ‘Squarrosa Pygmaea’.

Cypress ‘Squarrosa Lombarts’ (‘Lombards’) (1979, France). Crown oval irregular shape. The needles are subulate, bluish, and turn purple-bronze in winter.

Cypress ‘Squarrosa Sulphurea’ (before 1900, Holland). Potentially up to 5 m tall. The needles are sulfur-yellow with blue tints in summer, and silver-gray in winter.

Cypress ‘Sulphurea’. Plumosa Group. Quite a tall and powerful variety. The color of the needles is yellow, turning into green.

Cypress ‘Tama-himuro’‘. A miniature variety with a round, even and dense crown. Height at 10 years is 0.2 m. The needles are subulate, strongly protruding, bluish-green.

Cypress ‘White Beauty’. Dwarf shrub. The branches are raised and relatively wide. The needles are pressed, creamy on young shoots, later gradually turning green.

Cypress ‘White Pygmy’. A dwarf, densely branched variety with a dense crown in the form of a hemisphere. The needles are pressed, at the ends of the branches they are light white or cream. The same type is ‘Cream Ball’, characterized by a rounded crown, and the looser ‘Iceberg’.

Cypress "Lawsona" - Chamaecyparis lawsoniana

A tree that reaches 60 (70) m in height in nature. The crown of the lawson cypress is narrowly cone-shaped, usually with a bowed top. The bark is thick, reddish brown, cracking into rounded plates. The skeletal branches are horizontal; in older specimens, the lower branches may reach the ground. The shoots are flat. The needles are shiny, green above, with small white traces of stomatal stripes at the base below.

Flat leaves are 1.8-2 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, obtuse, usually with a gland. The lateral leaves are almost twice as long. The cones are oval, 8-10 mm in diameter, light brown with a coating, consisting of 8-10 wrinkled scales.

Homeland: mountains in the western United States. In culture since 1854.

Low winter hardy, susceptible to sunburn.

Cypress "Lavsona": varieties and photos

There are about 250 varieties. Few are suitable for our zone.

Cypress ‘Alumigold’ (1966, Holland). The crown shape is similar to ‘Alumii’, but the growth is shorter. The needles are yellow on illuminated shoots, and yellowish-green in the center of the crown. Mutation ‘Alumii’.

Cypress ‘Alumii’. The crown is narrow pyramidal, smooth. Grows quickly up to 10 m in height. The branches of young plants are raised steeply upward. The branches and shoots are located in the same plane, so that the branches look like feathers. The needles are scaly, bluish-steel in color.

Cypress ‘Ellwoodii’ (1938, England). Pyramidal, compact, up to 2 m tall. Branches raised vertically. The branches and shoots are located in the same plane, their ends are slightly drooping. The needles are needle-shaped, bluish-gray.

Cypress ‘Fraseri’ (1891). Low tree. The crown is narrow-conical or columnar. The needles are dark, bluish. In St. Petersburg it proved to be the most winter-hardy variety.

Cypress ‘Globosa’ (before 1937). Dwarf. At 10 years of age, the height is about 1 m. The crown is rounded and flattened. The branches are arranged horizontally, large, loose, with hanging ends. The needles are bluish-green, scaly.

Nootka cypress - Chamaecyparis nootkatensis (Xanthocyparis nootkatensis)

Tall tree with a narrow pyramidal crown. It grows slowly, reaching about 1 m in height by the age of 10 (Moscow). The bark is brownish-gray, breaking up into thin large plates. Skeletal branches erect or prostrate. The branches are drooping, thick, round or tetrahedral in cross-section.

The needles are tightly pressed, dark green on both sides, flat, usually without glands, approximately equal in length to the side. The cones are about 1 cm in diameter, reddish-brown, with a bluish bloom, and consist of 4-6 scales with a straight pointed point in the middle. The seeds ripen in the second year. Found in North America from Alaska to Oregon along the coasts. Introduced in 1853

Cultivation data are sparse.

Types of Nootkan cypress

About 20 species. The following are popular with us:

Cypress ‘Glauca’ (1858). Habitus is similar to that of the wild form. The needles are dark, bluish-green. 'Green Arrow'. Medium sized tree. Approximate dimensions at 10 years: height 3.5 m, width 0.6 m. The crown is very narrow and straight, short branches are lowered and mostly almost pressed to the trunk. The needles are very dark, bluish-green. Found naturally in Canada.

Cypress ‘Jubilee’ (1978, Canada). A very impressive variety, with a straight and narrow crown. Skeletal branches, like branches of the second order, droop, and the upper ones are almost vertical. The needles are bright green. A similar variety is ‘Strict Weeper’ (1995, USA).

Cypress ‘Lutea’ (1896). A tall tree with a weeping appearance. Young shoots are light yellow, later turning green. The variety ‘Aurea’ (1891) with the same color is distinguished by more raised branches and a dense crown, since it grows more slowly.

Cypress ‘Pendula’ (before 1884, Holland). The most popular old variety. By the age of 15 it reaches 2 m in height (Moscow). The naturally weeping habit is emphasized. Skeletal branches are sparse, branches of the second order hang vertically, even the crown is bent. The needles are grayish-green. Fruits at a young age. Winter hardiness is good, does not burn.

Cypress ‘Viridis’ (1867). Habitus is similar to that of the wild form. The leaves are much greener and brighter.

Thuja cypress - Chamaecyparis thyoides

The bark is red-brown, disintegrating into long ribbons with age. The branches are flattened and thin.

The needles are bluish-green on both sides, flat and lateral, of approximately the same length. Flat, keeled, with distinct glands. When rubbed, it smells resinous.

Eastern regions North America. Forms pure stands in swamps.

It is considered the most winter-hardy of the genus, but the least beautiful. Apparently, for this reason, divorces are less common.

Varieties of Thuja cypress

There are about 40 varieties of Thuja cypress. Particularly interesting are the juvenile forms, which change color in the winter. Unfortunately, they are rare here.

Cypress ‘Andalyensis’. Bush. This is a variety of thuja cypress with a compact, wide pyramidal shape. Grows more slowly than the wild form. The needles are partly juvenile: protruding and awl-shaped, partly appressed, like in the wild form, and can be transitional, semi-adpressed. The color is bright bluish-green, with a purple tint in winter. Often bears fruit. Found in 1850 in France. Founder of the Andely Group, which includes dense pyramidal varieties with a similar leaf shape. Their color can be yellow (‘Andelys Yellow’), variegated (‘Bergman’s Variegated’), etc. As a rule, they are repainted for the winter.

Cypress ‘Variegata’ (1831). Individual branches are creamy.

‘Ericoides’ (Thuja ericoides hort). Dense columnar or narrow pyramidal shape with a chaotic arrangement of branches. Grows slower than wild. Last year's needles are grayish-green, and the new ones are bluish-green, juvenile, protruding, sharp, with 2 stomatal stripes on the underside. In winter it takes on bronze, red-brown and red-violet tones. A similar variety is 'Rubicon' ('Red Star') (1972), which turns plum in winter.

Blunt-leaved cypress - Chamaecyparis obtusa

A tall tree with a dense cone-shaped crown. The bark is light brown, almost smooth. The branches are densely branched and flat. The leaves are tightly pressed, obtuse, dark green above, shiny, with noticeable white stripes below, flat, 1.5-1.8 mm long. Cypress cones are up to 1 cm in diameter, orange-brown, with 8 (10) scales with a small pointed point.

Found naturally in the mountains of Japan and Taiwan. Introduced in 1861. The wild form is not winter-hardy enough, but small varieties of cypress can be kept in collections. It deserves attention and development of agricultural technology.

Variety of varieties of cypress obtufolia

About 130 varieties are registered. Some of them:

Cypress ‘Arneson’s Compact’. Dwarf. The crown is pyramidal. The needles are juvenile, bluish-green.

Cypress ‘Chabo Yadori’ (‘Ericoides’, ‘Sanderi’, Juniperus sanderi, Platicladus orientalis ‘Sanderi’) (1894, Japan). Possibly a cultivar of Platicladus. Dwarf, pyramidal. The branches are horizontal and lush. The needles are scaly and needle-shaped, short, thick, concave at the top, bluish-green in summer, with a purple tint in winter. With age, the scaly one begins to predominate. Poorly winter-hardy. Various forms may be offered under this name.

Cypress ‘Crippsii’ (‘Aurea Crippsii’, C. obtusa var. crippsii) (before 1901, England). The crown is dense, pyramidal, up to 3 (5) m tall. The branches are outstretched. The branches are large, feather-shaped, with hanging ends. The needles are scaly, like those of the wild form, yellowish to golden yellow. Turns green when shaded.

Cypress ‘Draht’ (‘Drath’). The crown is narrow pyramidal. At the age of 10 years it reaches 2 m in height. The branches are raised. The shoots are dense, straight, very thick, similar to the branches of a moss. The needles are dense, scaly, gray-green in color.

Cypress ‘Erika’ (1970, England). The crown is broadly pyramidal. It grows slowly. At 10 years old, about 1.2 m tall. The branches are raised and lush. The needles are juvenile, grayish-blue. Sports from ‘Nana Gracilis’. It is considered weakly winter-hardy.

Cypress ‘Nana Gracilis’ (1867, USA). Dwarf, slow-growing, wide-oval form, reaching 3m in height with age. At 10 years of age, the height is 0.5 m. The branches are often branched, short, overlapping each other, forming wide wavy fans, which are located mainly horizontally.

Cypress ‘Pygmaea’ (before 1861, Japan). Dwarf. Height up to 0.6 (1) m. The crown is cushion-shaped, dense and very wide. The branches are horizontally spread. The branches are fan-shaped, flat. The needles are green, scaly, tightly pressed.

Cypress ‘Snowflake’. Dwarf, oval. The branches are located chaotically, rather loosely. The ends of individual branches are creamy. Leaves are juvenile, protruding.

Cypress ‘Tsatsumi’ (1932, USA). Dwarf orth of Cypress obtufolia. The approximate height at 10 years is 0.6 m. The crown is dense, pyramidal. The branches are curved and twisted. The branches are crowded, prostrate, short, with curved ends. Individual shoots are long, cord-like, drooping. The needles are green, scaly and needle-shaped, short, semi-appressed. Similar if not identical variety 'Coralliformis'.

Cypress ‘Tsatsumi Gold’. Similar shape. At 10 years of age, the height is 0.5 m. The needles are yellowish-green, brighter in the illuminated areas of the crown.

Cypress 'Wissel'. Miniature. The crown is round, smooth, sweaty. The needles are juvenile, widely spread, green.