Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Erecta' is a robust, pillar-shaped selection of Lawson cypress with dense, fastigiate branching and dark-green foliage. After 10 years of growth, a mature specimen will measure 6 feet (2 m) tall and 3 feet (90 cm) wide, an annual growth rate of 6 to 8 inches (15 - 20 cm).
This cultivar is very scarce in cultivation and is presently known to exist only in older landscapes and large arboretums. It is an old cultivar, known to the nursery trade since the 1960s. R. Smith first described and named it in 1867 in his book, Plants of the Fir Tribe, 3rd edition.