Other Names:  Oregon Cedar, Port Orford Cedar

Description:

Simply a ravishing narrowly columnar accent or articulation plant with the most breathtaking powdery blue sprays of fine foliage; remains dwarf, compact and upright without pruning, the ideal size for the garden; a fine color accent

Ornamental Features

Van Pelt's Blue Falsecypress is a dwarf conifer which is primarily valued in the landscape for its rigidly columnar form. It has attractive powder blue evergreen foliage. The scale-like sprays of foliage are highly ornamental and remain powder blue throughout the winter. The shaggy antique red bark adds an interesting dimension to the landscape.

Landscape Attributes

Van Pelt's Blue Falsecypress is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a narrowly upright and columnar growth habit. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which can make it a great accent feature on this basis alone.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should not require much pruning, except when necessary, such as to remove dieback. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Van Pelt's Blue Falsecypress is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Vertical Accent
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Van Pelt's Blue Falsecypress will grow to be about 15 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 50 years or more.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type, but has a definite preference for acidic soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selection of a native North American species.