Slender Hinoki Cypress

Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Gracilis’

Plant Details

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 5a-8b Find Your Zone

Plant Type: Evergreen Conifer

Height at Maturity: 12-15′

Width at Maturity: 5-6′
Spacing: 5′ apart for solid hedges or screens; 8’+ apart for space between plants

Growth Habit / Form: Conical, Upright

Growth Rate: Moderate

Foliage Color: Rustic Green

Fragrant Foliage: Mild Pine Scent

Sun Needs: Full Sun or Mostly Sun

Water Needs: Average, low when established

Soil Type: Clay, Loam, Sand, Silt

Soil Drainage: Well Drained

Soil pH: 6.0 – 7.5

Maintenance / Care: Very Low

Attracts: Visual Attention

Resistances: Deer – more info, Disease, Drought, Dry Soil, Insect

Description

The Slender Hinoki Cypress is a stately evergreen with a tall and narrow pyramidal form covered in sprays of highly attractive deep green foliage with gracefully arching stem tips that may turn to attractive reddish to burgundy color during winter in colder climates. Though some websites list this variety as “slow growing,” in our gardens we’ve seen a moderate to fast growth rate of about 12 to 24 inches a year in height…not too bad for a Hinoki Cypress! An excellent selection for a privacy screen or to frame in the corners of taller homes and other structures.

If we are currently out of the Slender Hinoki we also offer a very similar and equally attractive selection called Southern Lace Hinoki Cypress

Landscape & Garden Uses

Growing naturally in a slender, pyramidal form to 15 feet in height with a width of 5 to 6 feet at the base, the Slender Hinoki Cypress is ideal for use as a focal point specimen, in groupings, or in single or staggered straight or curved rows to for a very handsome privacy screen. Also nice where height is needed to fill narrow spaces or to frame the corners in home foundation plantings. A fine addition to conifer gardens, Asian gardens, bird gardens, rock gardens, and the Xeriscape (low water needs).

Suggested Spacing: 5 feet apart for privacy screens; 10 feet or more apart for space between plants

Note: For our customers who live and garden north of USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 7a, where this Cypress tree is not reliably winter hardy, you’ll be happy to know it can be grown in containers that can be brought indoors during winter and placed back outside when temperatures warm up in spring. That said, it will need a well-lit indoor location.

Growing Preferences

The Slender Hinoki Cypress is easy to grow in most any moist but well-drained soil of average fertility and full to part sun. It is very tolerant of dry soil conditions when established. Maintenance is minimal with little to no pruning required to keep its naturally narrow and pyramidal form.

Helpful Articles

Click on a link below to get helpful advice from our experts on how to plant, prune, fertilize and water Cypress trees.

How To Plant & Care For Cypress Trees

Privacy Screen Design And Planting Tips

Plant Long & Prosper!

Meet The Wilson Brothers & Staff

Questions? Contact Us!

This little tree arrived alive and packed well. I had to wait a few weeks before planting due to our weather. But it’s thriving! Would definitely purchase again!————————————————Thanks for the kind words and wonderful review! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

I ordered a slender Hinoki cypress through Wilson bros gardens, after looking around pretty extensively online. They were the cheapest (by a decent amount) option, with the most promising looking reviews. I purchased it, and within a couple days, it was expertly packed, sitting on my doorstep. I’ve purchased a lot of online plants. They usually come in in SOME sort of disarray. Not this one. There were cardboard braces keeping the Hinoki from being able to move inside the box, and keeping the box from being crushed. Upon opening it, I found the most beautiful little baby inside. No crisping edges, no brown bits. It looked like exactly how I wanted it to look. I’ve got it planted now, and a month or so later, and it is still looking just as vibrant and healthy. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!—————————————————————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Hello,
First of all, zero problems. Great quality plants arrived in a prompt manner. This was probably our 3rd order from y’all.
Thank you!————————————————————–We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the kind words and great review! Beth | WBG 🙂

Arrived healthy. I have yet to put it in the ground, First time experience with this tree. Hope it fairs well.—————————————————-We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the great review! Beth | WBG 🙂

We are loving this tree. We haven’t planted it yet because it is too cold, but we have it in the house waiting for warmer weather. When it arrived, it looked a bit brown in sections and while we weren’t too concerned, we wanted to check with Wilson Bros just to make sure that was a normal consequence of delivery in freezing temps. We sent pictures to the customer care team and immediately received detailed responses from their team with a diagnosis (the cold can cause the leaves to brown which is normal) and care instructions. A few weeks later and the tree is completely green, gorgeous, and awaiting its forever home in the ground! We could not be more impressed with the customer service we received and would gladly purchase from Wilson Bros again.—————————————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Well packed and in good condition. Interested to see how it grows in its new home.————————————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

This little cypress arrived with its tip bent over in order to fit a box. And I’m still trying to straighten it out. (ordered it 2 weeks ago) It’s really hard to say yet how its going to grow. But its in the ground and still green. The rest of the packaging was great! Whoever ships does make sure the root doesn’t shift much in the box, and it arrived in soil and otherwise seemed in good condition. —————— WBG Reply: Hi Theresa – Thanks for your review. The top branches of Slender Hinoki Cypress are always naturally arching due to their graceful habit so there’s no cause for concern. We always use boxes large enough so as not to bend over a plant. Even if a branch were to become bent during shipping it should straighten up within a few days or weeks. Hope you enjoy this beautiful evergreen for years to come and let us know if there’s ever anything else we can help you with. We’re at your service. – Brent | Wilson Bros Gardens

Plant arrived as expected, healthy and size as advertised.

I got two of the these. They arrived well packed no damage. Beautiful and I will buy here again. Everything I have bought are great plants. ————————— WBG Reply: Hi Ella – Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review of the Slender Hinoki Cypress and for the compliments. Hope you enjoy these magnificent trees for years to come. Let us know if there’s ever anything else we can do for you. – Brent | Wilson Bros Gardens

After researching nurseries, I ordered the Slender Hinoki Cypress from Wilson Bros. Gardens. The plant arrived without delay, was healthy, packed well, and is in the ground and happy. The price was reasonable, as well. I am impressed with Wilson Bros. Gardens and will be ordering again. ——– WBG Reply: Hi Patricia – Thanks for taking the time to provide your review and for the compliments! Hope you enjoy your Slender Hinoki Cypress for years to come. We really like the ones we have growing as a privacy screen in our gardens and have been surprised with the fast growth rate. Not as fast as a Leyland or carolina Sapphire cypress, but much faster than other Hinoki cypress varieties. Ours put on at least 18 inches a year or more in height. Let us know if there’s ever anything else we can help you with, We’re at your service! – Brent Wilson | Wilson Bros Gardens

I have ordered from Wilson Bros Gardens more than once and every time is the same, prompt delivery, well packaged, and very healthy plants. Thank you Wilson Bros Gardens!

I was happy to find these trees online from Wilson Bros Gardens. I called the nursery and they said the plants were a little small but that they were very healthy. I bought them anyway and when they arrived I was pleasantly surprised to see that they weren’t too small, at least not to me.

My purchase was received on schedule, well packaged and the plants were very healthy perfect specimens.