Yellow hinoki cypress is a semi-dwarf, evergreen tree in the Cupressaceae (cypress) family. It has delicate sprays of soft gold-to-green foliage in a pyramidal form that grows up to 10 feet tall and 6 feet wide. Its branches form fans and whorls of flattened foliage that spread outward. The parent plant is native to central and southern Japan. The genus name comes from the Greek words chamai , which means dwarf, and kyparissos , which means cypress tree. This tree does best in full sun to partial shade and in average-to-moist, well-drained soil. It is tolerant of various soil types and a broad pH range and benefits from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. It prefers humid conditions. Use yellow hinoki cypress as a specimen or accent, or in a mass planting as a short hedge. The plant adds winter interest with its lovely color and can be planted in a container on a patio. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Somewhat susceptible to juniper blight, root rot, and insect pests such as bagworms. VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Trees, Shrubs and Conifers," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Chamaecyparis obtusa .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Fills a similar nicheBuxus sempervirens 'Suffruticosa'Chamaecyparis thyoides 'Red Star'Pinus mugo 'Mops'
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
3 feet-6 feet; 6-feet-12 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 6 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in. | Width: 6 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Irregular; Pyramidal
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Needled Evergreen
Leaf color
Brown/Copper; Gold/Yellow; Green; White
Leaf type
Needles
Leaf value
Showy
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The bright yellow to green foliage grows in flat sprays with scale-like leaves. The outer leaves are bright lemon-yellow with the interior foliage being darker yellow, gold and emerald green.
Flower detail
No true flowers, pollen bearing cones are small and often reddish, growing from the branch tips.
Fruit color
Brown/Copper; Green; Red/Burgundy
Fruit detail
No true fruit, female seed-bearing cones are green when immature turning to brown.
Bark color
Dark Brown; Green; Light Brown; Red/Burgundy
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Wildlife value
Evergreens provide protection for wildlife, especially in the winter.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Lawn; Patio; Small Space
Landscape theme
Winter Garden
Design feature
Accent; Hedge; Mass Planting; Screen/Privacy; Small Tree; Specimen