Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Rigid Dwarf' is a erect, conical selection of Hinoki cypress with stiff, upright racing foliage similar to Ch. obtusa 'Nana Gracilis.' Well grown plants will have really good structure and glossy, dark green foliage. After 10 years of growth, a mature specimen will measure 4 feet (1.3 m) tall and 2 feet (60 cm) wide, an annual growth rate of 4 to 5 inches (10 - 12 cm).
This cultivar likely originated as a distinct species tree (seedling) selected, named and introduced to the nursery trade in the mid 1960s by Hillier Nursery, Romsey, United Kingdom. The original plant, which is now planted at the Royal Horticultural Society's arboretum at Wisley was originally in the private collection of A.H. Nisbet, Gosport, UK, who donated his plants to Wisley in 1992.
