Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Argentea' is a upright, broadly pyramidal selection of Hinoki cypress with fairly dense branching; and foliage that grows in a mix of green with silvery white variegation. It is superficially similar to C. obtusa 'Mariesii'. After 10 years of growth, a mature specimen will measure 40 inches (1 m) tall and wide, an annual growth rate of 4 to 6 inches (10 - 15 cm).
This cultivar originated in Japan long ago. In 1860, Robert Fortune imported the first plants to Europe to be propagated and introduced by Standish Nursery, United Kingdom. The name was first published in 1862 by George Gordon in a supplement to The Pinetum.
