Skip to main content

Lawson's cypress

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana

Last reviewed: August 2026

Lawson's cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana)
Photo: (c) John Rusk, some rights reserved (CC BY)

Light

part sun

Water

medium

Size

720"–1800" H × 180"–300" W

Bloom

Feb, Mar, Apr

Native to

CA, OR

Pollinators

wind-pollinated

Before you buy

Your city may pay you to plant this

Cities and water utilities offer rebates for replacing lawn with native and water-wise plants. We track 431 programs across 44 states, each with a link to the provider and the date we last checked it.

Find rebates in your area

A large, pyramidal conifer with soft, flattened sprays of scale-like evergreen foliage and small round cones. It grows in a graceful, drooping form that has made it a popular ornamental tree.

Wildlife value

Dense evergreen cover provides year-round nesting and roosting habitat for birds, and small mammals eat the seed cones.

Common questions

How much sun does Lawson's cypress need?
Lawson's cypress grows best in part sun conditions.
When does Lawson's cypress bloom?
Lawson's cypress blooms in February, March, and April.
Where is Lawson's cypress native?
Lawson's cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana) is native to CA, OR, per vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists.
What pollinators does Lawson's cypress attract?
Lawson's cypress draws wind-pollinated.

Native range data from vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists. Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.

Ready to grow Lawson's cypress? Add it to your garden in Pollinator Patch to track it and get season-by-season care guidance.

Not sure where to start? Take the 2-minute yard quiz