Lawson's Cypress 'Ivonne'

Lawson's Cypress 'Ivonne' (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Ivonne') is a narrow golden candle for the garden. The foliage is soft and fern-like, yellow-green in summer, deepening to rich gold as the cold sets in. The crown is dense and conical.

Because the crown is narrow, the tree fits where broad conifers feel cramped: by an entrance, in a bed, in a row along a path, or in a large container. Over the first ten years it puts on 1.5-3 m, in maturity reaching 4-8 m tall and 1.5-2.5 m wide. The gold holds only in full sun; in shade the foliage turns green.

Key characteristics:

• What makes it special: The colder it gets, the deeper the gold of the foliage.
• Dimensions: 1.5-3 m tall at 10 years, and 4-8 m tall by 1.5-2.5 m wide when mature.
• Hardiness: Hardy down to -29 °C (USDA zone 5).
• Light: Wants full sun, and the spot may face any direction.
• Soil: Loves moist but well-drained soil; it tolerates chalk, yet prefers slightly acid ground.
• Watering: Water regularly and never let it dry out: the soil should stay moist but well drained.
• Care: No pruning needed; in a hedge it is clipped twice a year and holds its shape immaculately.
• Landscape use: An architectural accent for city and cottage gardens, beds, screens and large containers.
• Origin: The cultivar holds the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.