Plant Library

Other Names:  Japanese Falsecypress, Sawara Falsecypress

Description:

A slow growing falsecypress variety, with unusual golden, thread-like foliage, adorned with cockscombs and fans; color is most intense in winter; adds a light, airy element to the garden

Ornamental Features

Lemon Twist Threadleaf Falsecypress is a dwarf conifer which is primarily valued in the landscape or garden for its ornamental globe-shaped form. It has attractive gold foliage with hints of chartreuse which emerges yellow in spring. The twisted threadlike sprays of foliage are highly ornamental and remain gold throughout the winter. The shaggy antique red bark adds an interesting dimension to the landscape.

Landscape Attributes

Lemon Twist Threadleaf Falsecypress is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a more or less rounded form. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which can make it a great accent feature on this basis alone.

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.

Lemon Twist Threadleaf Falsecypress is recommended for the following landscape applications;

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

Planting & Growing

Lemon Twist Threadleaf Falsecypress will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 4 feet. It has a low canopy. 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 highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

Lemon Twist Threadleaf Falsecypress makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.