Cypress, Koster's Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Kosteri' Height: 3 feet Spread: 3 feet
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Hardiness Zone: 5a Description: A preferred dwarf evergreen shrub for both bonsai and rock gardens, featuring dense sprays of twisted and mossy green foliage on a mounded shape; very slow growing, remains compact without pruning; use as detail in the home landscape Ornamental Features Cypress, Koster's is a dwarf conifer which is primarily valued in the garden for its ornamental globe-shaped form. It has light green evergreen foliage. The scale-like sprays of foliage turn coppery-bronze in the fall, which persists throughout the winter. Landscape Attributes Cypress, Koster's is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a more or less rounded form. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which should be used to full effect. This is a relatively low maintenance shrub. When pruning is necessary, it is recommended to only trim back the new growth of the current season, other than to remove any dieback. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics. Cypress, Koster's is recommended for the following landscape applications; Planting & Growing Cypress, Koster's will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 50 years or more. This shrub does best in partial shade to shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. This plant should be periodically fertilized throughout the active growing season with a specially-formulated acidic fertilizer. It is not particular as to soil type, but has a definite preference for acidic soils. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. Cypress, Koster's makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden. Special Attributes Sheds some inside foliage in the autumn or spring, few to some 1/4 to 1/2 inch seeds. Chamaecyparis are not classified as toxic to people or pets.
