Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Aurea' / golden Hinoki cypress

Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Aurea' is a robust, pyramidal tree form of Hinoki cypress with rigid, open branching and bright, golden foliage intermixed with glossy 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 8 to 10 inches (20 - 25 cm).

[ Robert Obrizok in A Garden of Conifers: Introduction and Selection Guide ] semi-dward, pyramidal, loose open habit, bright gold with green foliage.

This cultivar originated long ago in Japan. Renowned plant collector, Robert Fortune is credited with importing the first specimens to Europe in the 1860s on behalf of Standish Nursery, United Kingdom.


Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Aurea' — a 2003 accession at the New York Botanical Garden, The Bronx, New York (USDA Hardiness Zone 7a); photo from 2020.
Photo by Katherine Wagner-Reiss
Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Aurea' — a closeup of foliage and seed cone detail.
Photo by Katherine Wagner-Reiss
Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Aurea' — in a private garden in Michigan.
Photo by Kenneth Marek

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