This small Gracilis is in full sun. Are the browning scales normal or is it getting too much sun? I have a larger one in full sun also. It has a small amount of brown scales on the inner branches making me wonder if this is just normal for False Cypresses.
Thanks, Kyle
I have a lot of c. obtusa cultivars. Some scorch in full son, others are fine.
Many of my gold variegates will scorch - I try to plant w/ afternoon shade if possible.
I lost a Reis Dwarf (all green) outright this summer; I think just couldn't take the relentless heat.
I also think they tolerate full sun better if they are otherwise happy - i.e., well-draining soil.
I have a c.o. Nana aurea in a planter in full sun which looks luscious - the photo doesn't really do it justice.
It has really great textured fans of foliage. Great to run your hand through (I like hands-on gardening!).
Edited to add that they do some self-pruning also.
One of the chores I enjoy is cleaning out the dead leaves from them, particularly in the interior of the shrub.
The brown areas become brittle and easily fluff off with some rough-housing.
The plant always looks so much better once the nasty brown areas are gone.
This message was edited Aug 13, 2010 2:54 PM
Thanks, I feel better. It's been really dry here and I have watered it once.
"One of the chores I enjoy is cleaning out the dead leaves from them, particularly in the interior of the shrub."
Might that be a touch of sarcasm? :-)
I think Weerobin is offering services in your garden, killda...
Wow. Now that would be cool. But I would put her to work watering and mowing and I would do the cypress-cleaning. ;-)
I don't remember anything about offering mowering / watering services...!!
But feel free to send me any chamacyparis needing TLC.
I love them.
weerobin, got any pics to share?
Kilda, what a silly question! I went rummaging thru my pictures to try to illustrate some of the variety among chamaecyparis obtusa cultivars. Here's c.o. nana gracilis. Nice soft full fans of foliage.
Edited to add: I think these lushly foliaged ones look best with a little shade.
The new growth along the tips of the fans really brighten up in that exposure.
This message was edited Aug 21, 2010 10:02 AM
This is a golden cultivar, but I can't remember it's name.
The golden ones have best gold color in more sun.
This one is in full sun and doesn't scorch.
It's fans of foliage have more rounded margins.
Here's c.o. Torulosa. Thread-like twisty foliage. Tolerates full sun fine.
This one is c.o. Verdoni.
It has more flattened sprays of foliage.
I couldn't get a good picture - my plant isn't very mature yet,
so foliage is too sparse to strut it's stuff yet.
But each year, it's looking better and I have great hopes for it.
Maybe you can get a sense of the more flattened foliage habit in the pix?
You can also see some of the browning as you have noticed on your plant.
This one is in full sun.
Finally, here's a picture of the way I like to use chamaecyparis.
I have so much shade in my yard from overhead trees,
it's nice to have an evergreen which will tolerate part shade.
Gives a nice contrasting texture to a light-shady area.
This is a small cultivar c.o. Nana. You can barely see him to the left in the photo.
It's about 10yrs old, despite it's small stature.
It's perfectly happy nestled between an epimedium and dwarf sweet flag
(acorus gramineus Minimus Aureus).
I think he's cute!
Edited to request you to ignore the weeds!
This message was edited Aug 21, 2010 10:14 AM
Here is my Chamaecyparis obtusa "Gracilis" from last year. It was not doing well.
I upped the watering and here it is today.
New growth this year.
Thanks to both of you. Those pics make me optimistic.
Robin, what weeds? ;-)
