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Chamaecyparis thyoides - (L.)Britton.Stern.&Pogl.

White Cypress

Author	(L.)Britton.Stern.&Pogl.	Botanical references	11, 43, 200
Family	Cupressaceae	Genus	Chamaecyparis
Synonyms	Chamaecyparis sphaeroidea - Spach. Cupressus thyoides - L. Thuja sphaeroidea - Spreng.
Known Hazards	None known
Range	Eastern N. America - Maine, south to Florida and west to Mississippi.
Habitat	Cold, swampy often inundated ground, frequently forming dense pure forests[11, 43, 81, 82]. The best specimens are found in acid peat beds[229].
Edibility Rating	0 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	1 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen Tree growing to 10m by 3m at a slow rate.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very acid and very alkaline soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires dry moist or wet soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure. It cannot tolerate atmospheric pollution.

Habitats

Woodland Garden; Canopy; Hedge; Bog Garden;

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

A decoction of the leaves has been used as a herbal steam for treating headaches and backaches[257]. A poultice made from the crushed leaves and bark has been applied to the head to treat headaches[257].

Other Uses

Hedge; Wood.

Plants can be grown as a tall hedge[200] They are very tolerant of clipping so long as this does not extend into the brown barked wood since trees cannot regenerate from this[200]. Any trimming should be done in the summer[200]. Wood - soft, not strong, close grained, very durable, easily worked, light, slightly fragrant. It weighs 21lb per cubic foot. It is commonly used for woodenware, cooperage, fence posts, interior finish of houses etc[43, 46, 61, 82, 171, 235]. Wood found buried in swamps for hundreds of years is perfectly sound and not water-logged[11].

Scented Plants

Leaves: Crushed

The crushed foliage has a rather gingery hot aroma.

Cultivation details

Succeeds in most soils and situations, but prefers abundant moisture and a deep loamy soil and a sheltered position[1, 11]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Survives on dry alkaline soils[200]. Growth of trees is hardly affected by a lack of phosphate in the soil. Plants are moderately shade tolerant, especially when young[81, 200]. Plants are tolerant of atmospheric pollution according to one report[200], whilst another says that they do not do well in a polluted atmosphere[1]. This species is especially well adapted for planting in cold wet places[1]. Plants are hardy to about -35°c[200]. A long-lived tree in the wild with specimens more than 1,000 years old[229]. It is slow growing in cultivation[200], trees rarely grow more than 20cm in a year[185]. The branches become brittle with age[1]. A very polymorphic species, there are many named varieties[200]. The crushed foliage has a rather gingery hot aroma[185]. Favoured by many birds for roosting, high cover and especially for nesting, large specimens of this tree help to attract songbirds to the garden[200]. Trees are notably susceptible to honey fungus[200].

Propagation

Seed - sow March/April in a seedbed outdoors[78]. The seed is best sown in pots in a frame[K]. Seed can take 18 months to germinate. One month warm then one month cold stratification has produced good results[113]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter, planting them out in late spring after the last expected frosts. Cuttings in late summer or autumn in sandy soil in a cold frame[1, 11, 200]. Difficult, it may be best done in late winter to early spring[113].

Cultivars

No entries have been made for this species as yet.

Links

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[43] Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950
A bit dated but good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[81] Rushforth. K. Conifers. Christopher Helm 1987 ISBN 0-7470-2801-X
Deals with conifers that can be grown outdoors in Britain. Good notes on cultivation and a few bits about plant uses.

[82] Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America. Dover Publications Inc. New York. 1965 ISBN 0-486-20278-X
Two volumes, a comprehensive listing of N. American trees though a bit out of date now. Good details on habitats, some details on plant uses. Not really for the casual reader.

[113] Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987 ISBN 0942375009
A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.

[171] Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952
Not very comprehensive, but it is quite readable and goes into some a bit of detail about the plants it does cover.

[185] Mitchell. A. F. Conifers in the British Isles. HMSO 1975 ISBN 0-11-710012-9
A bit out of date (first published in 1972), but an excellent guide to how well the various species of conifers grow in Britain giving locations of trees.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[229] Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980 ISBN 0442238622
A very good concise guide. Gives habitats, good descriptions, maps showing distribution and a few of the uses. It also includes the many shrubs that occasionally reach tree proportions.

[235] Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970 ISBN 0-486-22642-5
Reprint of a 1913 Flora, but still a very useful book.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

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