Chamaecyparis pisifera Sungold - Sawara Cypress

Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Sungold', also known as Sawara Cypress, is a small-sized conifer with slow growth. Over time, it forms a beautiful rounded mass with undulating and dense vegetation, adorned with bright yellow-green thread-like foliage, sometimes golden yellow. Its branches are covered with very fine and trailing branchlets, giving the plant a cascading, bronze-like appearance. Perfect for rockeries and small spaces, this conifer is remarkable when planted above walls and thrives in container gardening. It prefers a sunny or partially shaded exposure, in rather moist but well-drained and humus-rich soil.

Chamaecyparis pisifera is a robust Japanese species belonging to the Cupressaceae family, which can reach 45m (148ft) in its natural habitat. It is mainly used for its durable lemon-yellow wood in lacquered furniture manufacturing and for the construction of numerous buildings such as palaces in its country of origin. It has given rise to many cultivars, classified into four groups: 'Plumosa', 'Squarrosa', 'Filifera', and 'Nana'.

After many years, 'Filifera Sungold' forms a beautiful bush with a rounded and spreading habit, measuring 1.2m (4ft) in height, with a 2m (7ft) spread. By the age of 10, it will measure about 90cm (35in) in height. Its slender and dense branches are flexible and trailing, covered with fragrant foliage that is initially golden yellow, before turning green-yellow in summer, and golden at the tips. The juvenile leaves are needle-like (linear, rigid, and pointed), while the adult leaves are scale-like and pointed, and darker in colour. Its barely visible bark is dark red with a fibrous appearance. The plants can be male or female; fruiting is rare and of little ornamental interest. This plant can live for 50 years.

Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Filifera Sungold' is highly appreciated for its soft cascading habit and its cheerful colour. It is ideal for crowning a wall, dominating it with its presence. It works wonders on a large slope or in a rock garden, and can also be planted in a large pot on a terrace. With its slow growth and romantic silhouette, which requires no pruning, it pairs well with varieties with cushion, columnar, pyramidal, or narrow conical habit. The architectural qualities of dwarf conifers naturally stand out in the design of a contemporary garden. With their reassuring permanence, these plants structurally anchor a flower bed. They mark pathways and border terraces, easily replacing the strong presence of trimmed boxwood or holly. The key is to play with volumes and colours.