Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Gold Dust' is a dwarf selection of Sawara cypress that grows in the form of a flattened cushion of dark-green foliage with flecks of widespread, light-yellow variegation. After 10 years of growth, a mature specimen will measure 4 inches (10 cm) high and 12 inches (30 cm) wide, an annual growth rate of 0.5 to 1 inch (1 - 2 cm).
This cultivar originated as a witch's broom found in the early 1960s on a specimen of Ch. pisifiera 'Minima Aurea' by William Goddard and introduced the the nursery trade by Floravista Gardens, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.