Gold Mop False Cypress

Light Needs

Partial Shade to Full Sun

(At Least 3 Hours of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

3-4 Feet

Mature Spread

3-4 Feet

Growing Zones

4 to 8

The Gold Mop False Cypress makes an excellent filler plant that adds textured foliage to a drab corner of your yard, and with time this plant will become a focal point of your landscaping. The Chamaecyparis pisifera has a mounded and naturally weeping form for a full appearance that puts the golden yellow branches on full display. This evergreen plant retains its foliage and will provide color all year long. The Gold Mop False Cypress is very low maintenance once established, so it is an excellent option for busy gardeners or perhaps gardeners who do not want to be very involved. 

This versatile plant is prized for its unique golden color, making it a beautiful addition to borders, mass plantings; it can also be used as an accent or in container plantings. Once mature, the plant will reach about 3 to 4 feet high–perfect for low hedges. The Gold Mop False Cypress is native to Japan and grows as a perennial in USDA zones 4 through 8. This plant is deer-resistant for added convenience. 

Gold Mop False Cypress Plant Care

The Gold Mop False Cypress is shade-tolerant, so while it can handle full sun, it typically performs better in part shade. Find a spot that receives about 6 hours of sunlight, and this plant will flourish, but make sure it does not receive intense noon and afternoon sun. This plant is not picky and can handle average soil. Newly planted Chamaecyparis pisifera will need water when the top couple inches of soil feels dry. Thoroughly saturate the soil around the root ball when watering to help establish deep roots. By the second growing season, the plant should be able to get by without help but monitor the plant and be ready with water during periods of drought.

Feed the plant using a slow-release, high-nitrogen fertilizer starting in the spring and reapply every other month during the growing season. This plant is known for its organic shape, and no pruning is required. Gold Mop False Cypress is cold-hardy once established.

Gold Mop False Cypress Plant Spacing

Expect the Gold Mop False Cypress to be about 3 to 4 feet tall and wide. Space the plants 2 to 3 feet apart center to center to create a seamless hedge or spread them out about 5 feet to give each plant its own space.