Cupressus macrocarpa 'Goldcrest' is a narrow columnar selection of Monterey cypress with soft, bright gold juvenile foliage that persists well year-round. After 10 years of growth, a mature specimen will measure 7.5 feet (2.5 m) tall and 4.5 feet (1.5 m) wide, an annual growth rate of around 10 inches (25 cm).
Cedar Lodge Nursery of New Zealand describes it as, "a very desirable conifer for use as a lawn specimen. Will stand salt wind well. A very bright yellow with attractive informal habit. Irregular but upright & stately. 4 meters high x 2.5 meters wide in 10 years in our Nursery/Garden. Zone 7."
This cultivar originated as a seedling selected in the mid-1940s by Treseder Nursery, Cornwall, United Kingdom. This plant should not be mistaken for C. macrocarpa 'Wilma,' which is often called 'Wilma Goldcrest.' 'Wilma' is much slower growing with tighter branching, while 'Goldcrest' has a much more open branch structure and behaves more like the species over time. C. macrocarpa 'Citriodora' is a considered synonymous, with 'Goldcrest' taking precedence in the trade.
