Lawson cypress 'Stardust'

Synonyms: Lawson's cypress 'Stardust'

Lawson cypress 'Stardust' first appeared in Europe at the LANGENBERG nursery in Boskoop (Netherlands) in 1965. In 2002 it won the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

It is a tall, slender tree reaching 8-10 m in height, with a crown diameter of 3.5-4 m. The crown is somewhat loose, broadly conical or pyramidal, asymmetric.

The plant is fast-growing, with an annual increase in height of 20-25 cm and 6-8 cm in width. The scaffold branches are long, thick, grow unevenly, are moderately branched, arise from the trunk at right angles and are directed upwards. The tips of the shoots are drooping.

Foliage is scale-like, arranged fanwise in a single plane, thick, sulphur-yellow, in shade becomes bright green with a faint golden tint.

Hardiness zone: 5b (-29 °C). Very winter-hardy; in cold winters the young growth does not suffer frost damage.

Location: Prefers light but can also grow in partial shade. Likes fertile, moist soil but without waterlogging. Does not tolerate dry soil or compaction, especially of the top layers.

Planting: Dig a hole at least 50 cm deep and wide. Soil mix: humus, topsoil, peat, sand in the ratio 3:2:1:2. When planting add mineral fertilizer - 5-6 kg of peat compost, mixing it with the soil.

Pruning: sanitary pruning.

Care: In spring you can feed with Kemira (100-150 g), scattering it around the root circle and then water the plant abundantly. In April-May you can apply nitroammophoska (30-40 g). It is also recommended to add top peat – topdress the surface several times during the season. Autumn feeding is not recommended.

Pests and diseases: pests and diseases are the same as for Lawson cypress.

Uses: in single specimen plantings on lawns, as well as in garden compositions, in mixed groups with woody plants, and also for forming woodland areas and hedges.