Folio № 9 of 37 · in the garden since 2026
Hinoki Cypress
Chamaecyparis obtusa
Japan's temple cypress: glossy, shell-like fans of blunt scale foliage on reddish, stringy bark. Slow, refined and long-lived, but it will not bud back from bare old wood — shape gradually and always keep green at the tips.
The year, as this species lives it
Thirteen phases. Touch any arc — the wheel remembers what each season asks.
Early Fall · Sep 1 – Sep 30 · happening now
- Stop feeding for the year.
- Not advised.
- Second structural window opens before the tree slows down.
- Good fall wiring window while branches are still supple.
- Done for the year.
- Inspect for scale and blight before winter.
- Plan winter wind shelter.
- Minor work only.
- Good season for carving.
- Keep rooting cuttings sheltered.
- Review silhouette and plan next spring's work.
- Good season for shows.
click another arc to travel the year →
The care sheet
The constants — what stays true in every season.
Full sun; afternoon shade in summer heat
Full sun through the growing season and bright light in winter. Cool-summer sun is fine, but above roughly 90°F give afternoon shade — hot sun scorches the foliage and cooks the roots in a small pot.
Even moisture
Never let the rootball dry out completely, and never let it sit waterlogged — wet, poorly aerated soil invites Phytophthora root rot. Fast-draining, slightly acidic mix; no lime.
Balanced organic
Growing season only: solid organic fertilizer about every four weeks (or dilute liquid more often). Ease off in summer heat and stop by early fall. Hold feeding for several weeks after repotting.
Pinch, don't cut; structural in early spring or early fall
Finger-pinch shoots once they reach about 2.5 cm — scissor cuts leave brown tips. Do structural work in early spring (before growth) or early fall, and refine once in late spring or early summer to slow growth. Thin shoots that shade the interior: shaded inner and lower branches die and do not return.
Early spring
Best just before growth starts, when bending can be aggressive and any damage is masked by new growth. Branches are slow to hold position, so expect to re-wire. Take wire off within roughly 10 months; bark and foliage scar and bruise easily.
Every 2-4 years
Mid to late spring as the tips begin to move. Never bare-root; leave part of the native root mass and soil untouched. Reduce the rootball moderately (about a third), and use a free-draining, akadama-heavy mix with pumice and lava (roughly 3:1:1). Very old trees can wait longer.
Cuttings, air layering or seed
Softwood cuttings in late summer, air layering, or seed (needs cold stratification, about a year to germinate). Many cultivars are grafted — watch for rootstock swelling at the trunk base on nursery stock.
Hardy to USDA zone 4 in the ground, so zone 8b winters are no threat to hardiness. For a potted tree the real risks are icy wind drying the foliage and a small rootball freezing solid; shelter it from wind and keep the rootball from drying out. Light bronzing in cold is normal and recovers.
Hot, dry, dusty air invites spider mites. Keep air moving, rinse the foliage (especially undersides) in dry spells, and shade the pot from afternoon sun during heat waves.
On the bench · 1
Every Hinoki Cypress in the garden, oldest hands first.