Hinoki cypress vs Lawson cypress

It has no serious pest or disease of its own; most problems come from the site. In waterlogged, airless, heavy soil it is killed by Phytophthora root rot, against which only good drainage helps. On the chalky, alkaline soils of Central Europe it grows poorly and yellows, and in hot, dry summers without watering and mulch the inner foliage browns and the plant goes bare; false cypresses do not resprout from old, leafless wood, so bare patches stay. In cold winters the foliage can scorch on the sunny, windy side, so plant it out of the wind and water on frost-free winter days. Spider mites may appear in hot, dry weather and, less often, fungal tip blights; weakened plants can also be attacked by the juniper jewel beetle. For plants in tubs, do not let the root ball freeze solid or dry out in winter. Shops sell almost only its dwarf or columnar cultivars, which stay a fraction of the size of the species: check the size of the cultivar you choose before you buy.

Its most serious problem is Phytophthora root and collar rot: Lawson cypress is among the most susceptible garden plants. The foliage slowly fades to dull grey-green and then brown and the plant usually dies; there is no cure, so avoid heavy, wet or waterlogged soil and do not replant where one has already died this way. Phytophthora lateralis, the specialist pathogen that devastates the species in North America, has also turned up in Western Europe in recent years. In the hot, dry summers of Central Europe it suffers from heat and dry air unless watered and goes bare inside, and in cold winters the sunny, windward side can scorch. Weakened plants may also be attacked by the juniper jewel beetle, whose larvae tunnel under the bark and make whole branches die suddenly. Shops sell almost only its dwarf or columnar cultivars, which stay a fraction of the size of the species: check the size of the cultivar you choose before you buy.