medicinal herbs
Lawson Cypress
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana

Herb: Lawson Cypress

Latin name: Chamaecyparis lawsoniana

Synonyms: Cupressus lawsoniana

Family: Cupressaceae (Cypress Family)

Medicinal use of Lawson Cypress:

The resin is a powerful diuretic.

Description of the plant:

Plant:

Evergreen
Tree

Height:

25 m
(82 feet)

Flowering:

March
to April

Scent:

Scented
Tree

Habitat of the herb:

Usually scattered in small groves on moist slopes and canyons, often on serpentine soils, below 1500 metres. Seldom more than 50 kilometres from the coast.

Other uses of Lawson Cypress:

Plants can be grown as a tall hedge They are very tolerant of clipping so long as this does not extend into the brown barked wood since trees cannot regenerate from this. Any trimming should be done in the summer. Certain dwarf forms can be used for ground cover, the cultivars "Knowefieldensis", "Nidiformis" and "Tamariscifolia" have been recommended. The branches have been used to make brooms. Wood - very close-grained, hard, strong, durable, easily worked, light, abounding in fragrant resin, acid resistant. One of the world's finest timbers, it is widely used for flooring, fencing, making boats etc. It is now in short supply due to over-harvesting without replanting.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - sow March/April in a seedbed outdoors. The seed is best sown in pots in a frame. Seed can take 18 months to germinate. One month warm then one month cold stratification has produced good results. 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. Difficult, it may be best done in late winter to early spring.

Cultivation of Lawson Cypress: