Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Squarrosa' is a tall, open, conical tree- or bush-form of sawara cypress with almost blue, partly juvenile, moss-like, crispate foliage. The epithet, "squarrosa" is from Latin, meaning rough, referring to the scaly leaves which spread outward. After 10 years of growth a mature specimen will measure 12 to 18 feet (4 - 6 m) tall, a growth rate of 1.5 feet (1.6 m) per year.
This is a very old cultivar that originated in Japan and brought to Europe, first by P.F. von Siebold in Belgium in 1843, then by J.G. Veitch in the United Kingdom in 1861. It is occasionally seen listed as, Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Squarrosa Veitchii' after J.G. Veitch.
