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Ellwood's Gold Lawson Falsecypress

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Ellwood's Gold'

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Ellwood's Gold Lawson Falsecypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Ellwood's Gold') at Roger's Gardens

Ellwood's Gold Lawson Falsecypress foliage

Ellwood's Gold Lawson Falsecypress foliage

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Height:  10 feet

Spread:  4 feet

Sunlight:  full sun  partial shade 

Hardiness Zone:  4b

Other Names:  Oregon Cedar, Port Orford Cedar

Description:

A spectacular slow growing cultivar featuring luminous gold foliage that is yellow at the tips, over underlying gray-green older foliage; broadly columnar in shape with a compact habit; an attractive screen as well as an accent shrub for the landscape

Ornamental Features

Ellwood's Gold Lawson Falsecypress is a dwarf conifer which is primarily valued in the landscape or garden for its rigidly columnar form. It has attractive gold-variegated grayish green foliage with hints of chartreuse which emerges yellow in spring. The scale-like sprays of foliage are highly ornamental and turn coppery-bronze in the fall, which persists throughout the winter. The shaggy antique red bark adds an interesting dimension to the landscape.

Landscape Attributes

Ellwood's Gold Lawson Falsecypress is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a narrowly upright and columnar growth habit. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub. When pruning is necessary, it is recommended to only trim back the new growth of the current season, other than to remove any dieback. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Ellwood's Gold Lawson Falsecypress is recommended for the following landscape applications;

  • Accent
  • Mass Planting
  • Hedges/Screening
  • General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Ellwood's Gold Lawson Falsecypress will grow to be about 10 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 4 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 70 years or more.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type, but has a definite preference for acidic soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selection of a native North American species.

 
 
Hardiness Zone Plant Height Minimum Sunlight Soil pH Preference
Characteristics
Accent  Massing  Screening  Garden 
Applications
Foliage Color  Plant Form  Bark  Winter Value 
Ornamental Features