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Wissel's Saguaro Cypress Tree for Sale - Buying & Growing Guide
The delightfully quirky Wissel's Saguaro Cypress tree, Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Wissel's Saguaro,' is an unusual form of the Lawson Cypress — a conifer that's native to the Pacific Northwest. The Wissel's Saguaro, as its name suggests, calls to mind the silhouette of a saguaro cactus, with a narrow, upright growth habit and branches that twist as they reach for the sky. At maturity, The Wissel's Saguaro Cypress normally tops out at six feet. The small stature of this tree makes it a good choice for container growing, and it is an excellent accent planting on a deck or by a pool. With a mature width of only a few feet, it is also well-suited to smaller spaces. Here are a few more reasons to bring this unusual cultivar to your garden:
- No significant disease or pest issues.
- Foliage is an attractive blue-green color.
- A slow grower that reaches six feet in a decade.
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Plant Care
Sunlight
The Wissel's Saguaro Cypress thrives in partial to full sun—four or more hours of direct sunlight a day.
Watering
Water regularly when newly planted; once established, water whenever the soil is dry two inches below the surface.
Fertilizing
Fertilize your cypress in spring with a slow-release, general-purpose fertilizer, such as a 10-10-10 formula.
Planting and Care
Planting instructions
Site your Wissel’s Saguaro Cypress in a spot that receives at least four hours of direct sunlight a day. Unpot your sapling and tease out any encircling roots, which can girdle the tree and slowly kill it. Dig a hole that’s slightly shallower than the root ball and twice as wide. Place the tree in the hole so that the root flare is about an inch above the surrounding soil. Holding it upright and steady, spread out the roots. Fill in around your tree with topsoil, tamping down as you go to eliminate air pockets. Water thoroughly. Apply a two to three-inch layer of organic mulch such as bark chips around the root zone to conserve moisture and hinder weed growth but keep it from touching the trunk to avoid problems with rot.
Watering and nutrients
When newly planted, water your cypress every few days until you see signs of vigorous new growth. Then, taper off to once-a-week watering. When your tree is established, it needs water when the soil two inches below the surface is dry. Fertilize your Wissel’s Saguaro Cypress in spring with a balanced, slow-release product designed for landscape trees and shrubs, such as a 10-10-10 formula.
Pollination
The Wissel’s Saguaro Cypress is monoecious, meaning that a single tree has both male and female reproductive organs. As a conifer, the trees don’t produce flowers, but cones. A single tree will have small male and female cones roughly a quarter inch in length that are wind-pollinated.
Pruning
Prune out any dead, diseased or damaged branches whenever you see them. The Wissel’s Saguaro Cypress doesn’t need annual pruning, but you can trim back limbs if you wish to keep it to a specific size.
Pests, diseases, and animals
Although generally pest and disease-free, you may occasionally see insects such as bagworms, spider mites or scale insects on your Wissel’s Saguaro Cypress. A healthy tree that is well cared for can generally fight off any infestations on its own, but insecticidal soaps or horticultural oil can also be used for insect pests. Diseases that are uncommonly seen on these trees include seiridium canker and phytophthora root rot. If you see the stunted foliage of the latter, it is best to remove and destroy the plant.
Achieving maximum results
Planting your Wissel’s Saguaro Cypress in a container is one way to achieve maximum results with this attractive tree, and it means that gardeners in the far north, where the tree is not hardy, can still enjoy it by bringing it indoors in the winter. Container planting isn’t difficult: use a pot that is about twice the size of the root ball, with good drainage in the bottom. Using good-quality potting soil, plant as per our directions above. Note that in warm weather, you may need to water your container-grown cypress more than you would if it was grown in the ground. You may want to boost your feeding routine, as well, giving it a light feeding in spring and fall.
FAQs
Where can I grow a Wissel's Saguaro Cypress?
This tree is hardy in the more temperate middle regions of the U.S., but it also thrives as far north as coastal Maine and most of the Pacific Northwest. In the south, it can be grown in Northern Texas and the plains states. It is hardy in USDA hardiness zones five through seven, which means it can handle temperatures down to -10 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are in a region where it is colder, consider growing this cypress in a container, and bringing it into a garage or basement for winter.
Are these good trees to grow for a privacy fence?
Yes, the Wissel's Saguaro Cypress can be used as a boundary or privacy fence. Consider planting two rows of staggered trees, leaving several feet between each one so that they can mature to fill in the area.
How fast does a Wissel's Saguaro Cypress grow?
It is not a fast grower but will put on about six to eight inches of new growth a year until it reaches a height of about six feet or more. It will grow more in height than width and remain a fairly narrow tree even when mature, with a tall pyramidal structure.
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Mature height |
6 ft. |
Mature width |
2 ft. |
Sunlight requirement |
Full-Partial |
Growth rate |
Slow |
Botanical name |
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Wissel's Saguaro' |
Shipping exclusions |
AZ |
Grows Well In Zones |
5-7 |
Growing Zones: 5-7 i Growing zones help determine if a particular plant is likely to grow well in a location. It identifies the average annual minimum winter temperatures across the U.S. provided as a map by the USDA.
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