Green Globe Lawson Cypress

Many people are entranced by bonsai – that miniature world of tiny trees, which in return for their beauty need lots of care. But there is another world of miniatures, that need very much less care, and that is the realm of dwarf conifers. Many of the larger examples of these are common garden shrubs, but there are also true miniatures, that defy their origins as giant forest trees, and instead choose to remain as tiny clusters of branches, maturing and increasing in beauty, but staying small and compact for a lifetime. One of the best of them is the Green Globe Lawson Cypress, a sphere of green that is perfect for the smallest garden, a pot or planter, or to occupy a special place in every garden.

Growing Green Globe Lawson Cypress Trees

The Green Globe Lawson Cypress, despite its size, is tough. It is hardy down to zone 5, and it prefers to grow in cooler areas, with zone 7 about as warm as it will be comfortable in. It grows well in full sun, and unlike most other dwarf conifers, it will also grow well in light shade. It grows happily in any well-drained soil, preferring moist soils that are not alkaline, but really being very adaptable.

Once it is well established it will take a little dryness, but don’t leave it dry for too long – you wouldn’t want to lose a plant that has spent so much time growing. It is resistant to atmospheric pollution, so it will be perfectly happy in a city garden or on a downtown balcony. It rarely has any problems from pests or diseases, and despite its small size, this is an easy plant to grow.

Uses on Your Property

The Green Globe Lawson Cypress is a compact evergreen plant, with tiny fans of rich-green foliage, that develops slowly into a dense, round ball of green just 12 to 16 inches across and tall after 10 years. It adds about one inch of foliage every year, becoming denser and more beautiful, but not increasing greatly in size. No matter how small your garden, and even if you have no garden at all, you can find a place to grow this plant – here are some ideas:

Create a Miniature Garden

Create a miniature garden in a planter box, or large, shallow container. Make sure it has drainage holes and fill it with any outdoor potting soil. Put together a collection of small evergreens of different forms and colors. Arrange them to your taste, add some interesting stones and cover the soil surface with gravel. Now you have a fascinating arrangement to watch mature – and you don’t even need a garden to do it, just a balcony or a window ledge.

Use Them in a Rock Garden

Find a small pocket among rocks you have used to make a wall, or to cover a slope. Perhaps you already have some small plants or flowers in this rock garden, and the Green Globe Lawson Cypress will add interest and maturity to a space like that.

Plant Them Among Larger Dwarf Evergreens

Add it in a special place to a collection of larger dwarf evergreens in a bed. These beds are incredibly low maintenance, and they bring lots of color and interest all year round.

Plant in Rows to Make an Edging

Use a row to make an edging along a very small bed – it will never need trimming to keep it neat and beautiful all year round. Space the plants about 9 inches apart.
Choose a strategic spot for it in a courtyard or Asian garden – at the foot of a rock, or on the edge of a small pond, perhaps, or beside a large stepping stone.
Simply place it in an attractive pot outdoors, and watch it mature and grow over time. Enjoy the calm green beauty of this handsome plant.

History and Origins of the Green Globe Lawson Cypress

The Green Globe Lawson Cypress is a unique form of the Lawson Cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana). This tree grows naturally in North America, and it is found wild in Oregon and north-western California. It grows all the way from the coast up valleys and along streams to 5,000 feet above sea-level. Back in the early 19th century nurseries in England sent explorers to America to find and bring back new plants for gardens ‘back home’. in the 1850s plant collectors send by a nursery called Lawson & Son, in Edinburgh, Scotland, found this tree near Port Orford in Oregon. The botanist who first described it named it after the nursery, but in Oregon, and elsewhere, it is often also called the Port Orford Cypress. Old trees have tall, straight, towering trunks, reaching as much as 200 feet into the air.

Over the years this tree was been planted around the world. In 1950, in Remuera, New Zealand, at the Palmer & Sons Nursery, a unique seedling of this tree was found. It remained very small, and grew into a round ball, not a towering tree. It was named ‘Green Globe’, and this is the special treasure we have found a source for. Our plants are grown from tiny stem pieces, and it takes care and skill to turn them into plants. The demand for these specimens is high among collectors and gardeners who love unique and fascinating plants. Order now, because our stock of this rare beauty will soon be gone.