Lawson's cypress
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana
Last reviewed: August 2026

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 areaA 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.
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