Students for Stewardship The Cork Board
← Back to the library

Coralliformis Hinoke Cypress

Chamaecyparis obtusa (kam-ay-SIP-a-ris ob-TOO-sa kor-al-li-FOR-mis)

Family: Cupressaceae Non-native Shrub (3-15 ft)

‘Coralliformis’ hinoki cypress is a needled, evergreen shrub in the Cupressaceae (cypress) family. The parent plant is native to Japan. The genus name comes from the Greek words chamai , which means dwarf, and kyparissos , which means cypress tree. The plant prefers full sun with moist, well-drained soils. It is not too picky about soil type as long as it's well-drained. It can also tolerate some shade. There are some discrepancies about how tall it gets, but most agree that in 10 years it will grow to about 4 feet and may reach 10 to12 feet at maturity. The plant is a slow-growing, bushy cultivar with curled, twisted, intertwining reddish branches and unique thread-like, glossy-green foliage. Plant it in a lawn or rock garden as an accent, screen, or foundation planting. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: The plant has some susceptibility to insect pests such as bagworms and diseases such as juniper blight and root rot. VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Trees, Shrubs and Conifers," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Chamaecyparis obtusa .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 40 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 3 - Shrub (3-15 ft) Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Fills a similar niche Camellia Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Filifera Nana' Ilex vomitoria 'Taylor' s Rudolph'

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Shrub
Life cycle
Woody
USDA zones
4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
3 feet-6 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in. | Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low; Medium
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Rounded
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Needled Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Needles
Leaf feel
Glossy
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Thread-like glossy green needled foliage
Flower detail
No true flowers - the pollen bearing cones are small and often reddish, growing from the branch tips.
Fruit detail
No true fruit - female seed-bearing cones are green when immature turning to brown.
Bark color
Red/Burgundy
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
Reddish stems
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Japan
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Lawn
Landscape theme
Asian Garden; Rock Garden
Design feature
Accent; Foundation Planting; Screen/Privacy
Garden tags
#evergreen #shrub #full sun tolerant #partial shade tolerant #bagworms #winter interest #dwarf #foundation planting #lawn planting #glossy leaves #accent #screen
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Bagworms in Ornamental Landscapes

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.