Chamaecyparis pisifera Tsukumo - Sawara Cypress

Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Tsukumo', also known as Sawara cypress, is a very small conifer, truly miniature. It slowly forms a small, densely vegetated, carefully maintained round cushion, adorned with emerald green foilage, blue-silver on the underside. Occasionally, some branches emerge from the cushion, giving the plant another dimension and a lot of personality. This already ancient variety remains one of the best for rock gardens and small spaces, also adapting perfectly to container cultivation. It prefers a sunny or semi-shaded exposure and moist but light and well-drained, humus-rich soil.

Chamaecyparis pisifera is a robust Japanese species belonging to the cypress family, which can reach 45m (147ft 7in) in its natural state. It is mainly used for its yellow lemon, rot-resistant wood, in the making of lacquered furniture and for the construction of numerous buildings such as palaces in its country of origin. It has given rise to numerous cultivars, classified into four groups: 'Plumosa', 'Squarrosa', 'filifera', and 'Nana'.

The 'Tsukumo' variety was obtained in 1967. This plant forms a beautiful evergreen, round cushion after many years, slightly wider than tall and not exceeding 25cm (9.8in) in height and 30cm (11.8in) in width at the age of 20. Its mature size is 30 to 40cm (11.8 to 15.7in) in height and 50 to 60cm (19.7 to 23.6in) in width. Its very tight branches have a remarkable texture. They are adorned at their tips with small branchlets arranged flat and fan-shaped, covered with foliage which is emerald green on the upper side. The juvenile leaves are needle-like (linear, rigid, and pointed), while the adult leaves are darker, scale-like and pointed. The undersides of these leaves show a very marked bluish to silvery band, corresponding to a row of stomata (the 'pores' on the plant's epidermis). Its barely visible bark, is dark red, with a filamentous appearance.

Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Tsukumo' is considered one of the most remarkable dwarf varieties in rock gardens or rocky slopes. It is also ideal for planting in pots on the terrace. With its very slow growth and round silhouette, which requires no pruning, it will work wonders alongside taller varieties, with a columnar, pyramidal, or narrow conical habit. The architectural qualities of dwarf conifers naturally stand out in the design of a contemporary garden, which prefers the aesthetics of shapes, silhouettes, and textures over flowers. These plants, with their reassuring permanence, durably structure a bed, mark pathways and border the terrace, easily replacing the strong presence of trimmed boxwood. They serve as a setting for small roses, peonies, or windswept grasses with a very complementary form. They can also be associated with ground cover plants such as aubrietas, dwarf artemisias and ceraistes, as well as small perennials. The key is to play with volumes and colours.