Trees & woodland lore · Western North Carolina field companion
Slender Hinoki false cypress
Chamaecyparis obtusa
Chamaecyparis obtusa. Taxon reference; photograph alone does not establish a named cultivar.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeCathy Dewitt ↗ · CC BY 4.0Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; no diagnostic content altered.
Refined evergreen specimen; needs good drainage and shelter from drying wind.
Turn a spray over and inspect the pale stomatal markings. Leaf tips are blunt compared with some other false cypresses.
More growing details
Read the bark
Reddish-brown bark is fibrous and develops shallow furrows.
Fruit & seed
Small rounded woody cones have shield-like scales.
Winter character
Evergreen fans provide year-round clues; compact form alone does not prove the cultivar.
Origin & place
An introduced garden species or horticultural hybrid; study it as part of WNC landscapes rather than assume it belongs to the native mountain flora.
Compare with Other false cypresses
Compare scale-tip shape, underside markings, and cones using a conifer key; nursery labels establish Gracilis.
WNC Notes
Refined evergreen specimen; needs good drainage and shelter from drying wind.
Sun Exposure
Full sun–part shade
MATURE HEIGHT (FT)
8–15
MATURE WIDTH (FT)
5–8
BLOOM SEASON
Spring
BLOOM COLOR
Inconspicuous
FALL / WINTER COLOR
Evergreen
Wet-Soil Tolerance
Moderate
Drought Tolerance
Low–moderate
LOOK CLOSELY
Two views, a closer look.
Place two photographs beside one another. Compare the overall plant with leaves, flowers, or bark when those views are available. Captions identify what each photograph actually shows. Images are not at the same scale; species references may show different cultivars.
Chamaecyparis obtusa. Taxon reference; photograph alone does not establish a named cultivar.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeCathy Dewitt ↗ · CC BY 4.0Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; no diagnostic content altered.'Golden Pillar' Trunk - Winter - Wake Co., NC — species reference; cultivar identity not inferred.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeCathy DeWitt ↗ · CC BY 4.0Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; full original composition retained.
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