PlantFiles: Sawara False Cypress, Japanese False Cypress
Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Sungold'

Adds a nice bright note to a shady corner. No problems with this shrub, and it has stayed about 4' tall in the 8 years I've had mine.

The above description seems to be wrong, the growers tag and other information on the web has the height to slowly but eventually reach between 5'-8'

This past Christmas, I used two of these plant in a container near our front door along with dwarf nandinas. I got tons of compliments and they did really well considering I totally neglected them. they are just starting to outgrow the containers and I am planning to move them to a hill side that we have been landscaping. I really love these.

The 'Sungold' cultivar in PA is a light green in color. The yellowish colored plants are the 'Aurea' cultivar. This plant is great for unusual texture and different foliage color. Use this shrub where you want an evergreen accent or specimen. They have a medium growth rate in PA and have weeping branches but also grow upright and will quickly block windows if used in foundation plantings. Be sure to place in an area where you can let it grow because it is best left unpruned. If you prune the branches, they never recover the weeping growth habit and look unattractive unless pruned very carefully.

Sungold False Cypress is a great dwarf if you want bright yellow colour year-round. This cultivar only puts on about 2 inches of growth a year. In summer, it really turns yellow; in winter the colour is a bit more muted. Great addition to any rock garden.