Plant & Tree Library

Other Names:  Oregon Cedar, Port Orford Cedar

Description:

A perfect accent to the garden or landscape; a very slow growing columnar variety producing sprays of new white folage that eventually ages to gray-green; lights up border areas and has tremendous winter interest

Ornamental Features

Snow White Falsecypress is a dwarf conifer which is primarily valued in the landscape for its rigidly columnar form. It has grayish green evergreen foliage which emerges white in spring. The scale-like sprays of foliage remain grayish green throughout the winter. The shaggy antique red bark adds an interesting dimension to the landscape.

Landscape Attributes

Snow White Falsecypress is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a narrowly upright and columnar growth habit. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub. When pruning is necessary, it is recommended to only trim back the new growth of the current season, other than to remove any dieback. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Snow White Falsecypress is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Snow White Falsecypress will grow to be about 15 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 5 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 70 years or more.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type, but has a definite preference for acidic soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selection of a native North American species.