Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Moonlight Lace' / Moonlight Lace Hinoki cypress

Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Moonlight Lace' is a large, shrubby selection of Hinoki cypress with uniform, layered branching and muted, creamy white variegated foliage, ranging from simply flecks of white to large splashes of color. After 10 years of growth, a mature specimen will measure 5 feet (1.6 m) tall and 40 inches (1 m) wide, an annual growth rate of around 6 inches (15 cm). The originator describes it as "an unusual accent plant and conversation piece."

This cultivar originated as a color sport found in the mid-1990s, on a specimen of C. obtusa 'Graciosa' at Iseli Nursery, Boring, Oregon.

Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Moonlight Lace' — a young specimen in a private garden in Kansas; photo from 2007.
Photo by David Stegmaier

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