Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Contorta' / contorted Hinoki cypress

Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Contorta' is a dwarf, broadly pyramidal selection of Hinoki cypress, with irregular branching and twisted branchlets. Foliage is deep green in color and consists of typical sprays of foliage, as well as filamentous shoots. After 10 years of growth, a mature specimen will measure 24 inches (60 cm) tall and 18 inches (45 cm) wide, an annual growth rate of around 2 inches (5 cm).

This cultivar originated as a seedling sourced from C. obtusa 'Nana Gracilis', in the 1940s by den Ouden Nursery, Boskoop, The Netherlands.

Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Contorta' — a specimen seen in the Gotelli Collection at The U.S. National Arboretum, Washington, D.C; photo from May 2006.
Photo by Dax Herbst

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