Trees Planet: Chamaecyparis lawsoniana

Monday, February 22, 2016

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana - Lawson Cypress

General Information

Common Name	Lawson Cypress
Scientific Name	*Chamaecyparis lawsoniana*
Sun Tolerance	Full Sun
Height	up to 60 m (197 ft)
Spread	15 -20 m (50 - 66 ft)
Growth Rate	Slow
Bloom Time	Spring
Color	Green,
Flower Color	Green
Type	Tree
Native	Africa, Asia, Europe, USA.

Classification

Kingdom	Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision	Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division	Coniferophyta – Conifers
Class	Pinopsida
Subclass
Order	Pinales
Family	Cupressaceae - Cypress Family
Genus	Chamaecyparis Spach. – Cedar
Species	C. lawsoniana

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana - Lawson Cypress

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana commonly known as Lawson Cypress also known as Port Orford Cedar. It is native to Oregon and California of North America and Europe.

It is a large growing evergreen tree that grows up to 60 m (197 ft) in height or more, with trunks 1.2–2 m (4–7 ft) in diameter. It is best known as a fairly slow growing, narrow crowned tree, densely foliaged to the base, short branched with pendulous ends, one or more drooping leaders, a tendency to fork,, and with thin foliage, often sold to florists for decorative purposes and the making of wreaths.

The spray-like foliage, which resembles the flattish fronds of a fern, surrounds the shoots, so that no buds are visible and is made up of overlapping scale-like needles (more correctly, leaves) of two kinds – broad, but less so than Thuja plicata on the flat surface, longer and narrow on the edge of the shoots. The shiny upper surface is usually medium- or bluish-green, but may be of other shades of green or yellow. The lower surface has a bloom of white wax. When crushed the shoots give off a strong smell resembling parsley.

The flowers of both sexes are found of the same tree. They are usually numerous and appear in March. The small, crimson and conspicuous males are tiny and club-shaped, and scatter their pollen at the end of March or in early April. The small globe-shaped females are yellowish-green, with dark tips to the scales. They soon swell to small berry-like round cones (somewhat like a pea, but with flat-topped segments), about 1 cm in diameter, light green with a grey bloom, later ripening to blue-grey or reddish-brown and opening to shed their small brown seeds in early autumn.

At first the bark is thin, greyish-brown and smooth and shiny. Later it becomes reddish-brown, irregularly fissured and peels in thin strips or flakes; within is a bright pink bark. The sapwood is yellowish-white, the heartwood grey to dark brown. It is strong, light and naturally durable, and is valuable for joinery and fencing.

A popular hedge plant and ornamental, the tree is going out of favor with foresters because of its slow growth, low volume, a tendency to fork.

There are many ornamental varieties (actually ‘cultivars’) based on color or arrangement of foliage, artificially propagated, usually by taking cuttings or making grafts. For example, the variety or making grafts. For example, the variety glauca (a definite blue shade), ereca (a deep true green), and lutea (a bright golden yellow). There are also columnar, dwarf, fascinated and pendulous forms.