Species · Conifers like juniper and pine
Hinoki cypress
Chamaecyparis obtusa
Hinoki cypress carries flat, glossy sprays of scale foliage with a distinctive fan-like fold to each frond, and slow, dense growth that holds a tight silhouette with less maintenance than most conifers. Its wood and foliage carry a strong, distinctive scent when cut, prized in its native Japan well beyond bonsai.
Care at a glance
- Watering
- Check daily, water when the top centimetre is dry. Roughly every 2 days in spring, 2 in summer, 3 in autumn and 7 in winter.
- Light
- Full sun, six hours or more.
- Winter
- Hardy once established; check the specific species for exact limits. Protect it when the forecast drops below -10 °C.
- Feeding
- Every 21 days, Apr to Sep, paused in the hottest weeks.
- Repotting
- Every 3 to 4 years, as buds swell, in Apr.
- Growth
- Slow growing. Hardy in zones 5 to 8.
The work calendar
| Work | JJan | FFeb | MMar | AApr | MMay | JJun | JJul | AAug | SSep | OOct | NNov | DDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prune | Mar | Apr | Sep | Oct | ||||||||
| Wire | Jan | Feb | Mar | Oct | Nov | Dec | ||||||
| Pinch | May | Jun | Jul |