Dwarf Hinoki cypress

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; light afternoon shade helps in hot climates. Protect from drying winds.

Water

Keep the root zone evenly moist but not waterlogged. Established plants tolerate brief dry spells, but prolonged drought can scorch the foliage.

Soil

Moist, well-drained soil enriched with organic matter; acidic to neutral soil is preferred. Avoid waterlogged ground and very dry, shallow soil.

Height

6-10 ft (1.8-3 m) over several decades; commonly 3-4 ft (0.9-1.2 m) after 10 years

Spread

4-6 ft (1.2-1.8 m) over several decades

Foliage

Evergreen. Dense, dark green, scale-like leaves in overlapping, shell-shaped fans, with pale markings beneath. Some bronzing can occur in winter.

Growth

Slow, usually about 3-6 in (8-15 cm) a year, depending on conditions

Care needed

Low

• Deer resistant
• Cold hardy
• Wildlife

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   2.4 ft (0.74 m)

3. After 2 years

   3 ft (0.98 m)

4. After 3 years

   4 ft (1.2 m)

5. After 5 years

   6 ft (1.7 m)

About 8 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Mildly toxic: may upset a stomach

Growth rate

Slow

• Water deeply during dry weather, especially through the first two growing seasons.
• Apply 2-3 in (5-8 cm) of organic mulch over the root zone, keeping it clear of the trunk.
• Plant with the root flare at soil level; do not bury the trunk or leave roots standing in water.
• Feed lightly in spring only if growth is weak or the soil is poor; avoid heavy nitrogen feeding.
• For container plants, use a pot with drainage holes and check moisture regularly, including in winter.

Pruning. In late spring or early summer, remove dead or damaged shoots and lightly shorten wayward tips if necessary. Keep cuts within green foliage: bare old wood usually does not produce new shoots, and routine shearing spoils the natural form.

Early spring

Check for winter scorch and broken branches; wait for growth to resume before deciding which browned shoots are dead.

Spring

Plant when the soil is workable, water thoroughly and renew mulch without covering the root flare.

Late spring

Remove confirmed dead growth and lightly trim any shoots that disrupt the outline.

Summer

Check soil moisture during hot spells and water deeply before the root zone dries out.

Early autumn

Check sheltered inner foliage for mites and remove loose, naturally shed brown foliage by hand.

Late autumn

Water if conditions are dry before the ground freezes; shelter containers from drying winds and prolonged root freezing.

• Use as a specimen beside a path or entrance, leaving enough room for its eventual width.
• Pair with Japanese maples, ferns and mossy groundcover for contrasting textures in a sheltered garden.
• Repeat a few plants through a restrained evergreen border to provide year-round structure.
• Grow in a large, well-drained container as a slow-growing courtyard focal point.

Garden styles it suits: Japanese, Zen dry garden, Japandi, Architectural minimal, Woodland and Winter interest.

Plant it with: Japanese maple, Japanese forest grass, Hosta, Japanese painted fern, Pieris and Dwarf rhododendron.

Wildlife: Dense evergreen branches provide shelter for small birds and invertebrates. Wind-pollinated cones offer little value to nectar-feeding insects.

• Root rot in waterlogged soil: improve drainage or move the plant to a better-drained position; avoid frequent watering of already wet soil.
• Spider mites in hot, dry conditions: inspect foliage for fine stippling and webbing, rinse with water and use a labelled mite treatment only if needed.
• Drought or winter scorch: maintain soil moisture, mulch the roots and shelter from drying winds; browned foliage may not recover.
• Brown inner foliage: modest autumn shedding is normal; remove loose debris, but investigate watering and drainage if browning reaches the outer tips.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses, although specific toxicity information for this cultivar is limited. No part is intended as food; eating foliage or cones may cause digestive upset.

• Dwarf Hinoki cypress 'Nana' (Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Nana')

  Usually forms a much lower, more compact mound; 'Nana Gracilis' develops a taller, broadly upright outline. Young plants can be difficult to distinguish without a reliable label.

• Dwarf Hinoki cypress 'Gracilis' (Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Gracilis')

  Has similar cupped foliage but grows faster and becomes a much larger, more clearly tree-like plant.

• Dwarf Sawara cypress 'Boulevard' (Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Boulevard')

  Has soft, silvery blue, awl-shaped juvenile foliage rather than the dark green, flattened, shell-like sprays of 'Nana Gracilis'.

Chamaecyparis means 'low cypress', obtusa refers to the blunt leaf tips, and 'Nana Gracilis' means 'dwarf and graceful'.

Propagation. Take semi-ripe cuttings in late summer and root under humid conditions in a free-draining medium; rooting can be slow. Specialist growers also graft it. Seedlings will not reliably retain the cultivar's form.

Accepted botanical name

Chamaecyparis obtusa

Native range

Japan and Taiwan.

Measured

Average height 1040 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0) and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.