Chamaecyparis Cedar Rapids False Cypress
Best fast-growing evergreen for homeowners seeking low-maintenance privacy screens.
Enhance your landscape with the Chamaecyparis Cedar Rapids™ False Cypress, an evergreen shrub offering year-round visual appeal. This variety from Proven Winners® ColorChoice® boasts a rapid growth rate and a naturally dense, pyramidal shape with vibrant, lime-green foliage. It serves beautifully as a standalone specimen or can be mass-planted to create a textured privacy screen or hedge. Thriving in sunny to partly shaded locations with fertile, well-drained soil, it requires minimal maintenance, is deer resistant, and provides a food source for birds.
$24.95
Owner Satisfaction
4.6
/ 5
Category Rank
866
/ 2688
#866 in Bushes & Shrubs
Price vs Category Average
-37%
Below average
Mature Height
30
/ feet
Who it's for
- Landscape designers seeking a sculptural, year-round focal point
- Busy homeowners needing low-maintenance plants for small spaces
- Gardeners prioritizing reliable, disease-resistant, and hardy shrub performance
Who should skip it
- Gardeners with heavy clay or poorly draining soil conditions
- Plant owners unable to monitor for seasonal pest outbreaks
- Residents in hot climates with intense, direct afternoon sun
Performance breakdown
Growth Velocity
Rapid development ensures your landscape fills in quickly and effectively.
Maintenance Ease
Naturally dense habit minimizes the need for frequent or complex pruning.
Wildlife Utility
Provides essential shelter and food sources for local bird populations.
Environmental Resilience
Deer resistance and zone adaptability make this a reliable garden staple.
Visual Impact
Vibrant lime-green foliage maintains striking color throughout the entire year.
Screening Potential
Pyramidal structure creates a dense, uniform barrier for total privacy.
Key Specs
Mature Height
30 feet
Mature Width
15 feet
Growth Rate
Fast
Evergreen
Watering Needs
Moderate
Soil Type Preference
Well-Drained
Deer Resistant
True
Attracts Wildlife Type
Birds
Features
- Evergreen foliage for year-round appeal.
- Fast growth rate for quick establishment.
- Naturally dense, pyramidal habit.
- Deer resistant.
- Attracts birds.
- Adaptable to various well-drained soils.
- Ideal for hedges and privacy screens.
What customers say
Customers highly value the Chamaecyparis 'Cedar Rapids' False Cypress, primarily for its exceptional quality and reliability, hallmarks of the Proven Winners brand. Reviewers consistently praise its vibrant, feathery texture and attractive dense pyramidal form, noting it excels as a low maintenance specimen. The plant's robust health upon arrival and superior root systems minimize transplant shock. Its ability to maintain rich color across seasons, even in tough climates, is a significant positive. Gardeners appreciate its manageable size and slow growth, ideal for structured spaces. While generally celebrated as a high quality evergreen, a few buyers mentioned initial size variability relative to cost. Overall, this conifer is highly recommended for reliable structure and year round visual interest.
Know before you buy
Since this shrub reaches a mature width of 15 feet, you should space plants at least 15 feet apart if you want them to grow as individual specimens. If you are planting them as a privacy hedge, you can space them closer together, typically 8 to 10 feet apart, to allow the branches to eventually touch and create a dense screen.
No, this variety naturally grows in a dense, pyramidal form, so it does not require formal pruning to look its best. You may perform light maintenance pruning if you wish to remove dead branches or slightly shape the plant, but it is not necessary for the shrub's health.
The Cedar Rapids False Cypress is hardy in USDA zones 4 through 8. It is quite adaptable to various climates within this range, provided it is planted in well-drained soil and receives adequate sunlight.
Yes, this variety is considered deer resistant. While no plant is entirely deer-proof if food sources are scarce, deer generally find the foliage of this False Cypress unappealing and tend to leave it alone.
While it can be grown in a large container while young, its mature height of 30 feet makes it better suited for in-ground planting. If you choose to keep it in a pot, ensure the container is very large and provides excellent drainage to accommodate its rapid growth.
This plant thrives in full sun to partial shade. While it will grow in partial shade, providing it with at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily will help maintain the most vibrant lime-green foliage color and encourage a denser growth habit.
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$25