Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'KARACA'

Lawson cypress is native to northwestern America, from Oregon to northern California. It was first discovered by European Americans near Port Orford, Oregon, and was introduced to horticultural market in 1854. It was described by the Scottish botanist Andrew Murray (1812-1878) and named after another Scottish botanist and merchant, Charles Lawson (1795-1873), who became famous by importing new plant species from America to Britain. This cypress tree was one of his discoveries. It is a hardy, evergreen conifer with soft, scale-like needles. Perhaps all over the world in temperate climates, it is widely planted in gardens and parks and is popular for its variability. There are many colourful varieties that brighten up compositions of dark green shrubs and trees and perform also in decorative outdoor containers.

Karaca is a bright yellow coloured variety of Lawson cypress with picturesque overhanging branches that may resemble Filifera Aurea variety, except that they do not have such prominent brownish-red twigs and form longer and finer veils of thin branches. Its colour is much more pronounced from autumn to spring when the plant withdraws most of its chlorophyll into the roots. Therefore, it is often planted amid dark green shrubs providing a great contrast, especially during the dormant season. The scale-like needles are soft to touch, and you just want to stroke the delicate branches every time you pass by.

It grows moderately into a broadly pyramidal shrub, approx. 30 cm per year and bushes out nicely even without pruning. Still, it can be pruned – in spring you can prune the tip which will encourage production of more leaders and the plants will be wider and lower or shear the sides in midsummer if you desire a slender plant. The variety won a bronze medal at the Polish horticultural show Green Is Life in 2017.

Lawson cypress prefers moist but well-drained, slightly acidic soil but is adaptable to almost all types of soil. Grow it in full sun or half shade either in a garden bed or in a container where moisture must be regularly checked but remove the saucer (it requires more frequent watering than e.g. pine tree) and the plant has to be fed once it has consumed all nutrients from the original soil. In a border it requires no maintenance at all. Fully hardy to min. -29 °C (USDA zone 5).

Last update 05-11-2023