Hinoki cypress ‘Crippsii’
* Common name: Hinoki falsecypress ‘Crippsii’
* Botanical name: Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Crippsii’
* What it is: A slow-growing, upright, pyramidal, soft-needled evergreen with golden foliage.
* Size: 12-15 feet tall, 7-8 feet wide in 15 years.
* Where to use: Excellent colorful evergreen specimen for center of an island garden or for softening a house corner. Full sun or part shade.
* Care: Optional scattering of acidifying organic granular fertilizer such as Holly-tone around base of plant in March. Keep damp the first season, then water needed only in a drought. Pruning not needed until it reaches space you’ve allowed. Lightly shear or prune back at end of winter to maintain desired size.
* Great partner: Gaillardia ‘Goblin’ or red daylilies.
I was forced to plant in the Spring by my HOA and live in Raleigh NC where i normally would have planted in the fall.
My Cypress Crippsii after a weeks vacation in June looked wilted and had some brown spots on it. I can’t seem to water passed a wilted looking stage and the brown spot are still there. I’m worried I’ll lose it. I can’t tell what the problem is now. Am I watering too much? i know after the first year you are supposed to back off. But it always looks wilted even after watering?
Also, i planted 5 Gardenias at the same time and two have almost lost all of their leaves but the other 3 look great. Is my sprinkler perhaps missing those.
Thanks for your input!
Dale,
Sorry, I can’t make an educated guess on what’s wrong. I’d recommend hooking up with your local Extension office or a trusted garden center because they will know your weather, soil, pests and such much better.
I also have no experience with gardenias since we can’t grow them outside up here. Again, your locals (especially someone who can take a first-hand look to garner signs and symptoms) would be your best bet.
Hi, George. Can these be maintained in columnar form at about 3-4 feet in diameter. Have a space I’d like to use along front of house but didn’t want to crowd it. Thanks
Yes, but you’ll have to stay on top of it by doing light shears once or twice a year to keep it to that width. Don’t let it go much wider and then try to bring it back to a skinnier form. ‘Crippsii’ is going to try to eventually grow 8 or even 10 feet wide if left to its own choice.
You might also consider the smaller and naturally skinnier gold-tinted Hinokis ‘Verdoni’ and ‘Tetragona Aurea’ if you need something narrower.
Excellent advice. Many thanks, kind sir.