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Kost's Yellow Falsecypress

Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Kost Yellow'

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Kost's Yellow Falsecypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Kost Yellow') at Lakeshore Garden Centres

Kost's Yellow Falsecypress foliage

Kost's Yellow Falsecypress foliage

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Height:  5 feet

Spread:  6 feet

Sunlight:  full sun  partial shade 

Hardiness Zone:  4a

Other Names:  Japanese Falsecypress, Sawara Falsecypress

Description:

A colorful selection of threadleaf falsecypress with fine, almost string-like golden foliage all season long, giving an extremely fine texture; an extremely dwarf variety, ideal for color and texture detail in the garden

Ornamental Features

Kost's Yellow Falsecypress is a dwarf conifer which is primarily valued in the landscape or garden for its interestingly mounded form. It has attractive gold evergreen foliage. The threadlike sprays of foliage are highly ornamental and turn yellow in the fall, which persists throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Kost's Yellow Falsecypress is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a mounded form. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which can make it a great accent feature on this basis alone.

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.

Kost's Yellow Falsecypress is recommended for the following landscape applications;

  • Accent
  • Vertical Accent
  • Hedges/Screening
  • Rock/Alpine Gardens
  • General Garden Use
  • Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Kost's Yellow Falsecypress will grow to be about 5 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 6 feet. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 50 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 highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

Kost's Yellow Falsecypress makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden. Be aware that in our climate, most plants cannot be expected to survive the winter if left in containers outdoors, and this plant is no exception. Contact our experts for more information on how to protect it over the winter months.

This plant is not reliably hardy in our region, and certain restrictions may apply; contact the store for more information.

 
 
Hardiness Zone Plant Height Minimum Sunlight Soil pH Preference
Characteristics
Accent  Articulation  Screening  Rock  Garden  Container 
Applications
Foliage Color  Texture  Plant Form  Winter Value 
Ornamental Features