'Pendula' Nootka False Cypress (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis 'Pendula'): Graceful Weeping Conifer

'Pendula' Nootka False Cypress Overview

Chamaecyparis nootkatensis 'Pendula' is a conical evergreen tree with gracefully drooping branches and vertical, flattened sprays of bluish-green to dark green foliage. Upward-curved branches with pendulous branchlets create an open crown at maturity. Native from Alaska to Oregon, it thrives in cool, moist Pacific Northwest and East Coast climates but also tolerates hot, dry conditions of the Lower Plains.

Key Features

• Ovoid, brownish-green male cones (⅛ inch)
• Green female cones (½ inch) with recurved central hooks, maturing in spring
• Year-round evergreen structure

Growing Requirements

• Light: Full sun
• Soil: Moist, well-drained, neutral to slightly acidic; tolerates alkaline
• Protection: Shield from drying southwesterly winds
• Size: Over 30 feet tall, 15–30 feet wide

Propagation & Problems

Root semi-ripe cuttings in late summer; graft dwarf cultivars in late winter/spring. Potential issues: spruce mite, twig blight, root rot, needle blights. Magnificent specimen tree with winter interest.