Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Compact Fernspray' is a low-growing, bushy, dwarf selection of Hinoki cypress with ascending fern-like branches, holding shiny green foliage that become bronze-tipped in winter in colder climates. After 10 years of growth, a mature specimen will measure 4.5 feet (1.5 m) tall and wide, an annual growth rate of around 6 inches (15 cm). Regular shearing and aesthetic pruning will both reduce the rate of growth, and create denser branching.
This cultivar originated as dwarf sport found on a specimen of C. obtusa 'Filicoides' in the early 1960s by R.S. Corley of the United Kingdom. Synonyms abound for this conifer, to include 'Filicoides Compacta', 'Pygmy Filicoides', 'Filicoid Dwarf', and 'Dwarf Fernspray.'
