Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Lane' / Lane Lawson cypress

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Lane' is a popular, broadly pyramidal, moderately fast-growing selection of Lawson cypress with dense branching holding golden foliage that fully cloaks the tree from top to bottom. The golden color is at its most intense on the most sun-exposed parts of the plant, while shaded parts of the foliage will be muted to chartreuse to light green.

After 10 years of growth, a mature specimen will measure 10 feet (3 m) tall and 4.5 feet (1.5 m) wide, an annual growth rate of nearly 12 inches (30 cm).

This cultivar originated as a seedling selected in the late 1930s by H. Lane and Son’s Nursery, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom. Occasionally, one will see this conifer listed under the Latinized cultivar name, 'Lanei', which, given the year of selection, should probably be its correct name.

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Lane' — an old specimen in a large botanical garden in the U.K.
Photo by Ioannis Patlis
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Lane' at Bedgebury National Pinetum, Kent, United Kingdom; planted in 1943. Location: at the edge of the Dwarf Conifer Collection. Supplied by Jackman's Nursery, Woking Surrey.
Photo by Liz Randall

Comments

Louise Keil

Developed by H. Lane & Son's Nurseries, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England in the 19th century. Research into this nursery (c1777 - c1959) is ongoing and little more is known about this currently (13/01/2021).

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Maxwell Cohn

thanks for this information, Louise. Is there any evidence that this cultivar is extant in any garden anywhere? Many of these ancient cultivars no longer exist.

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Ronald Schlak

'Lane ' was prominent in Adrian Bloom's garden in his book .
I admired it mucho

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Maxwell Cohn

cool. Now we just need somebody with a camera, then we can get it written up.

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Louise Keil

Hello again. Longwood Gardens, Philadelphia have confirmed that their specimen, accessioned in 1958, has died sometime between 2005 and 2021. Wisley, Surrey, England have a specimen in one of their Pinetum Beds, confirmed 05/08/2021. Will go down later this month and photograph. Adrian Bloom has a specimen at Foggy Bottom, Bressingham, Norfolk, England confirmed 03/08/2021, around 15m tall but no accession details.

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Jules

How strange and fascinating, as I read this I am only 4 miles from it’s inception in a town called Tring. I shall keep an eye out in the area!

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