Chamaecyparis thyoides 'Rubicon' is a upright, dwarf, bushy selection of Atlantic white cypress with dense juvenile foliage that is gray-green in summer, turning amazing dark reddish purple in winter in colder climates. After 10 years of growth, a mature plant will measure 3 feet (1 m) tall and 1 feet (30 cm) wide, an annual growth rate of 3 to 4 inches (7.5 - 10 cm).
The plant, beautiful as it is, is known to be temperamental, always prone to sudden death for no apparent reason. Nonetheless it's definitely worth a try, particularly in its native part of the world.
This cultivar originated as a unique seedling selected in the late 1960s by enthusiast and renowned writer of conifer books, Humphrey J. Welch while touring Tennessee Valley Nursery, Winchester, Tennessee. It is consistently seen listed in the nursery trade as Ch. thyoides 'Red Star' which is likely intended to be a commercial (trade) name.
