Jade Waves Falsecypress Is a Compact Evergreen with Character

Jade Waves falsecypress brings great evergreen color and texture to the garden thanks to its fernlike foliage. This cultivar of Hinoki cypress has a slow growth rate, compact size and naturally dense branching that makes pruning unnecessary. 

Common name: Jade Waves falsecypress, fernspray falsecypress or hinoki cypress.

Botanical name: Chamaecyparis obtusa 'MonYur'

Exposure: Full sun

Foliage: Scaly green leaves are held in flat sprays that twist and turn as they radiate from the dense branches. Foliage color is dark green with some brighter green highlights toward the tips of the branches.

Habit: An evergreen pyramidal shrub reaching 6 to 8 feet tall and about half as wide at the base, with a slow growth rate.

Companions: Jade Waves falsecypress is easy to combine with evergreen or deciduous shrubs in a foundation planting. Dwarf conifers with blue or gold needles are a fabulous match. Read about some favorite conifers here.

Among deciduous shrubs, try oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia), because its coarse leaves provide great contrast to the ferny texture of Jade Waves. (Read more about oakleaf hydrangea here.) Another choice is Ivory Halo dogwood (Cornus alba 'Bailhalo'), with white-variegated leaves for added foilage interest spring to fall, and its bare red stems are a winter bonus.

Jade Waves falsecypress also makes a good backdrop for flowering perennials during the growing season, and it can carry the scene when these die back for the winter. 

Or keep the focus on foliage by planting it with low-growing perennials with interesting leaves, such as grassy blue fescue (Festuca glauca 'Blue Whiskers' or 'Elijah Blue') or wide-leaved lambs ears (Stachys byzantina 'Helen von Stein').

Origin: The species Chamaecyparis obtusa is native to Japan. Jade Waves was found as a naturally occurring variety in an Oregon nursery. It was noted as an especially compact, densely branched falsecypress. It was propagated and introduced to the trade by Monrovia. 

How to grow it: Plant Jade Waves falsecypress in full sun. Avoid sites subject to harsh winds that contribute to drying (especially winter winds). This shrub prefers average to rich, well-drained soil and regular moisture. Water regularly as it is getting established and in times of drought. USDA Zones 4–8.

Image credits: Jade Waves falsecypress courtesy of Monrovia by Doreen Wynja; Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Snow Queen’ by Plant Image Library/CC BY-SA 2.0; Cornus alba Ivory Halo by Babij/CC BY-SA 2.0; Festuca Blanca ‘Blue Whiskers’ courtesy of Walters Gardens; Stachys byzantina ‘Helen von Stein’ by Patrick Standish/CC BY 2.0