Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Snow' / Snow Sawara cypress

Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Snow' is a dwarf, bun-shaped, bushy selection of Sawara cypress with mossy, Blue-grey foliage tipped with white. Has a tendency to burn in full sun or cold wind and break under the weight of snow. If planted in deep shade, plants will become more open growing with less color and less attractive. Take special care selecting a specimen. Many variations in the growth habit exist due to poor propagation practices. Selecting faster growing propagation material will result in more lanky growth than is desirable for this clone.

After 10 years of growth, a mature specimen will measure 14 inches (40 cm) tall and wide, an annual growth rate of a bit more than 1 inch (2.5 cm).

This cultivar originated long ago in Japan. Don W. Hatch of Farnham, Surrey, United Kingdom imported the first plants to the west in the late 1960s. This plant is also seen listed in the nursery trade under the names, 'Squarrosa Snow' and 'Mikko.'

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Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Snow' in a photo taken in 1999 during ACS National meeting in Oregon. Notice the name on the tag, Mikko, one of the pseudonyms.
Photo by Bill Barger
Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Snow' in The Gotelli Collection of the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C., May 2006. I'm not sure why this large specimen isn't showing typical white coloration.
Photo by Dax Herbst
Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Snow' — Green Industry Images, copyrighted photograph.
Photo by Ernie Wiegand
Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Snow' growing in partial shade in central Maine since 2010
Photo by Wynne Keller
Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Snow' — a closeup of foliage detail.
Photo by Bill Barger

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