Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Pygmaea Argentea' / silver pygmy Lawson cypress

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Pygmaea Argentea' is a popular, widely grown, globose to squatty pyramidal dwarf selection of Lawson cypress with dense green foliage and creamy white tips. After 10 years of growth, a mature specimen will measure 1.5 feet (50 cm) tall and wide, an annual growth rate of nearly 2 inches (5 cm).

This cultivar originated as a branch sport found in the late 1890s by James Backhouse and Son Nursery, York, United Kingdom. It is occasionally seen listed as 'Backhouse Silver.'