Wilma Goldcrest Lemon Cypress

Light Needs

Full Sun

(6+ Hours Direct Sun)

Mature Height

3-5 Feet in containers; up-10 Feet in ground

Mature Spread

2-3 Feet

Golden chartreuse foliage and a narrow columnar shape make Wilma Goldcrest Lemon Cypress especially useful where space is tight. Hesperocyparis macrocarpa 'Wilma Goldcrest' has soft, lemon-scented foliage that keeps its color through the year, especially with plenty of sun. It grows as a dwarf evergreen shrub or small conifer, usually reaching 6 to 8 feet tall and only 1 to 2 feet wide. We often use it in tall patio containers because it gives height without making the planting feel crowded.

Wilma Goldcrest Lemon Cypress is a dwarf form of Monterey cypress, selected from a witch’s broom mutation of ‘Goldcrest’. Its fine-textured juvenile foliage forms a tight, tapered shape that needs little trimming. This evergreen performs best in USDA Zones 7-11 and is useful in borders, sunny entrances, narrow beds, and seasonal porch displays. It can be brought indoors briefly for décor, but it grows better long-term outdoors with sun, airflow, and good drainage.

Wilma Goldcrest Lemon Cypress Care

Plant Wilma Goldcrest Lemon Cypress in full sun for the strongest golden color and densest growth. It prefers sandy or average garden soil that drains quickly, and it can adapt to acidic, neutral, or alkaline pH. Avoid heavy, wet clay or overly rich soil, which can lead to weak growth and root problems.

Water regularly during the first growing season, checking the soil by touch rather than watering on a fixed schedule. Once established, water when the upper soil has dried and the plant begins to feel light in its container or the foliage loses its fresh feel. Feed lightly in spring with a slow-release evergreen fertilizer. Growth slows during cooler months while the foliage stays evergreen.

Prune in spring only when shaping is needed or when removing damaged tips. Light shearing can maintain a formal cone or hedge, but avoid cutting deeply into bare interior stems. Container-grown plants may need winter protection in colder parts of Zone 7, especially from drying wind and frozen pots.

Wilma Goldcrest Lemon Cypress Spacing

Space Wilma Goldcrest Lemon Cypress 2 to 3 feet apart for a narrow screen or 3 feet from nearby plants when using it as a single accent. Choose a container at least 16 to 20 inches wide with drainage holes, then size up as the roots fill the pot. In sunny, well-drained beds, pair it with lavender, sea thrift, yarrow, or hens & chicks. For containers, use thyme, sedum, or calibrachoa around the base where the soil stays bright and drains freely.

SKU:

EVT-ORN-LEM-LGL