Chamaecyparis obtusa 'JR'

[ description and history courtesy of Small Conifers for Small Gardens, Robert L. Fincham ©2011 ] Chamaecyparis obtusa 'JR' is a miniature cushion. A dark green selection, it grows less than one inch annually. A ten-year-old specimen will be 8-10 inches tall and wide.

Joe Reis of Long Island, NY was one of the early experimenters with seedlings of Chamaecyparis obtusa. He is responsible for many of the dwarf cultivars of this species available today. It was from his back yard nursery that he introduced 'JR' in the late 1970s. He named it after himself using his initials. Some people have been known to call this plant 'Junior,' but that is not the intent of the naming. In fact, the RHS Horticultural Database of Plants lists the cultivar name as 'Junior.' It must be noted that this is a mistake on their part.