Sawara Falsecypress

Sawara cypress is hinoki's wilder, more variable cousin, a Japanese conifer that in its species form can reach an improbable hundred and sixty feet in the wild, but in Western Washington gardens shows up almost exclusively as one of its many cultivar forms. The foliage varies dramatically by selection: some have soft, feathery juvenile foliage ('Filifera'), others have tight, mossy growth ('Squarrosa'), and still others have thread-like, pendulous branches ('Filifera Aurea' for gold, 'Boulevard' for silver-blue). The red-brown bark exfoliates in thin strips, adding winter interest. It is one of the most polymorphic conifers in the nursery trade, the cultivars look so different from each other that you might not realize they are the same species.

Sawara cypress does well in the Puget Sound lowlands. The maritime climate matches its Japanese origins, and it handles the moisture levels and temperature ranges common to our residential sites. Three diseases are tracked, including root rot in waterlogged soils, but well-drained sites produce healthy plants. The same cultivar-to-space matching rule that applies to hinoki cypress applies here: a thread-leaf gold form that tops out at six feet and a full-sized species that can eventually dominate a skyline are not interchangeable planting decisions. Full sun produces the best foliage color and density. Part shade works but often results in thinner, more open growth that loses the textural impact that is the entire point of planting this species.