Port Orford Cedar Lawson CypressChamaecyparis lawsonianaHeight: 50' average mature height Zones: 5-8 Find my zone Aspect: mostly shade to full sun Watering: needs occasional summer irrigation, about one deep watering cycle per month once established Maximum Water: tolerates occasional winter flooding but needs drier soil in the summer Habit: single stem or trunk Foliage: evergreen Growth Rate: medium Native To: OR, CA
Size Availability
In the Cupressaceae family and very closely related to the Cypress genus,
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana
covers a very small native range and is listed as near threatened in the wild. It is a wonderful conifer for most any landscape with many common names, including White Cedar, Lawson Cypress, Western White False Cypress, Port Orford Cedar (of which is named after the City of Port Orford, and was once one of the major timber species harvested). We much prefer the Port Orford Cedar as an alternative to hedge plants such as the Leyland Cypress as the Port Orford has far fewer problems. The roots are very strong and not as likely to rip out as others, the growth is far more even and the trunk wood is far stronger than many cypress alternatives. Additionally, the lacy scale-like foliage is a light silver grey - a much more attractive and interesting color for a hedge than most of the true cypress that tend to have a brownish tint.
Out of season.
8 to 12 inch seedling - P. lateralis resisant seed source - $9.97 each 12 to 16 inch seedling - $9.99 each 1 gallon 20 to 26 inches tall - $19.99 each 2 to 3 feet tall - $65.00 each
Our main crop of most plants is available starting in late fall.
Additional batches of plugs and quarts are added throughout the year.
Many of our plants are propagated in limited quantities and can sell out quickly when posted, get on the notification list below so you don't miss out. Add your email to be notified as soon as we have them back in stock:
This does NOT subscribe your email to any mailing lists, our system will only send an inventory notification message.
Production notes: in production most years but is unavailable in some due to limited seed/division material or finicky propagation 
Notable Uses
In the landscape, this makes an excellent specimen plant or a fantastic privacy screen in a row. The top couple feet of the central leader will usually curve downwards, giving it the appearance of a mountain hemlock on a snowy peak. Foliage will continue growing to the base of the tree until cut to reveal slightly fibrous bark, which was often pulled away by Native Americans for weaving or medicinal uses. The light colored wood is strong and rot resistant, similar to most members of the Cypress family (including Eastern and Western Red Cedar, Giant Sequoia and Redwood). Harvested timber fetches a high price in Asia and is usually exported to Japan from Port Orford, Oregon. Because the wood is so fine grained and solid, it is often used in making instruments such as guitars. Native populations, which were tiny in range to begin with, have been greatly over harvested and combined with a root rot in the wild has prompted the species to be listed as near threatened.
Shade and Drought Tolerance
The Port Orford Cedar is very shade tolerant and will grow with less sun exposure than most any other conifer. The scale-like pattern of the foliage provides more surface area than regular needles or leaves, allowing photosynthesis to occur with less light available. Additionally, like most Western Natives, the Port Orford Cedar is very drought tolerant once established. At our nursery in Southern Oregon, summer temperatures will often range from 95-105 with very low humidity from June until September. Any soaking rain enough to get to the roots before evaporating away is uncommon from the end of May until October or November. In the wooded area above our nursery, we've established several Port Orford Cedar by watering them with a bucket twice their first year, and then letting them fend for themselves. Even though they are planted in a dry and hot site they have managed to grow several feet per year.
Information on the False Cedars (for those who care about botany)
Many American species within the Cypress family have "Cedar" included in their names (Incense Cedar, Port Orford Cedar, Red Cedar, White Cedar, etc.) because the wood of many Cypress species has the same aromatic smell as the true Cedars, which are native to the Mediterranean. Many of the false Cedars now have had changes made to their common names to reflect that they are not actually Cedars - for example, Incense Cedar is now officially named "Incense-cedar" to designate it is a false cedar.
A two gallon Port Orford Cedar 
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana - Port Orford Cedar Lawson Cypress bark in southwest Oregon
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana - Port Orford Cedar Lawson Cypress old growth in southwest Oregon
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana has a narrow form with dense, well-defined edges when mature
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana - Displaying the fern-like foliage of the side branches
Packing Plants For ShippingWe pack our plants depending on the needs of each species and size, most plants ship best with the roots packed in moist sawdust or bark fines but some species don't like root disturbance and are shipped in a soil-less growing media. Excess soil is washed from the roots in preparation for shipping (18-24" White Pines)  Plants are bundled together to fit in boxes  Bundles of plants are secured in long boxes. Plant Sizes 3 gallon Dawn Redwood  Standard quart shrub  Standard 14-18" multi-stem tree size  Standard deep plug pine tree Bamboo Plants Are Shipped In Their ContainersBamboo roots are not flexible and so plants have to be shipped in their containers. These plants are heavier and are shipped separately from bare root plants. Because they are potted they can handle longer transit times so can ship via UPS Ground instead of USPS Air Mail. Potted plants can also be shipped year-round.We regularly top our 1 gallon bamboo plants at 24-30 inches tall throughout the growing season. This results in dense, bushy foliage while allowing for economical shipping. From this size most running species will grow to 5-6 feet tall in the first spring and clumping species will usually grow to 4-5 feet tall.  1 gallon bamboo plants strapped in and ready to be sealed. Unpacking Bare Root PlantsYou will be sent tracking details as soon as your plants are shipped. Unpack your plants as quickly as possible after they are delivered. We use two types of boxes, side-sealing and top-sealing. For boxes that are taped along the whole length you can cut the tape on either side and remove the plant bundles by cutting the tape holding the bundle to the bottom. For boxes that are sealed on the top and bottom, it is easiet to open the bottom of the box (the shipping label is at the top) and pull the bundle of plants out straight out. Check that the box is empty as there can be a second bundle of plants stuck towards the top. A bundle of trees. What if I am not able to plant right away?You can usually leave the plants in their shipping container unopened for 1-2 days if there were no shipping delays and you have received your plants from late November through February. Plants shipped when it is warmer can't stay in their packages for as long.For longer term storage of plants you can pot them up or plant them in rows close together temporarily and then pull them out later in the spring to be planted again. This keeps the roots moist while allowing for air flow to the tops. The roots should have good contact with the soil to ensure they have access to adequate moisture. |
Size Availability
Out of season.
8 to 12 inch seedling - P. lateralis resisant seed source - $9.97 each 12 to 16 inch seedling - $9.99 each 1 gallon 20 to 26 inches tall - $19.99 each 2 to 3 feet tall - $65.00 each
Our main crop of most plants is available starting in late fall.
Additional batches of plugs and quarts are added throughout the year.
Many of our plants are propagated in limited quantities and can sell out quickly when posted, get on the notification list below so you don't miss out. Add your email to be notified as soon as we have them back in stock:
This does NOT subscribe your email to any mailing lists, our system will only send an inventory notification message.
Production notes: in production most years but is unavailable in some due to limited seed/division material or finicky propagation
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Red Panda Nursery