Cypress, Lawson
The Lawson Cypress, is an evergreen conifer, that can grow to a height of 45m high, and may live more than 500 years.
A tall, narrowly conical tree, with feathery foliage. The bark is cracked into vertical plates, and the twigs are a dark bluish-grey.
Photo supplied by: Alan Payne
Common Name:
Lawson Cypress
Scentific Name:
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana
Tree No:
179
Location:
D4
Short scale-like leaves are grouped in fours and hide the twigs, forming flat planes. They are closely pressed together, producing flat sprays of foliage. They are green with a whitish tinge underneath. The foliage has a pungent scent, rather like parsley.
Credit: Alan Payne
Minute flowers, which look like buds, open at the twig tips in spring. Male flowers are crimson, becoming yellow with pollen, and females are blue.
Credit: This could be your image
Cones ripen from female flowers, starting green, then turning cream and finally ending brown. They are pea-sized with broad scales.
Credit: This could be your image
Lawson cypress is native to California and was introduced to Britain in 1854. There are now many ornamental cultivars. This evergreen tree is grown widely in parks, gardens and churchyards. It can regenerate from seed, and has naturalised on banks, walls and woodland margins throughout lowland UK. It grows best in moist but not waterlogged soils.
The dense foliage provides shelter for nesting birds, including various finches, when many broadleaved trees are still in bud.
The wood, which is strong and light, is highly valued in Japan for coffin and shrine construction. It is also used to make arrow shafts and musical instruments, especially guitars. It is grown widely in the UK as an ornamental tree.
Here is a good opportunity to tell the difference between the Lawson Cypress (Tree 179) and Western Red Cedar growing alongside it (Tree 180)
There are several Lawson Cypress as well as Western Red Cedars in the gardens see if you can tell them apart. Look at the cones. The Lawson Cypress cones open around a central point. On the underside of the foliage, they have a series of white crosses.
On the other side of the path close to the gate into St Peter’s Road from the right is a Cypress Macrocarpa Tree (Tree 173). This is a true Cypress not to be confused with the Lawson Cypress of which there are many in the gardens.
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Braintree & Bocking Public Gardens,
43 Bocking End,
Braintree,
CM7 9AE.
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