Herb: White Cypress


Latin name: Chamaecyparis thyoides


Synonyms: Chamaecyparis sphaeroidea, Cupressus thyoides, Thuja sphaeroidea


Family: Cupressaceae (Cypress Family)



Medicinal use of White Cypress:

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

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Tree

Height:
10 m
(33 feet)

Flowering:
March
to April


Scent:
Scented
Tree

Habitat of the herb:

Cold, swampy often inundated ground, frequently forming dense pure forests. The best specimens are found in acid peat beds.

Other uses of White 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. 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. Wood found buried in swamps for hundreds of years is perfectly sound and not water-logged.

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 White Cypress:

Cold, swampy often inundated ground, frequently forming dense pure forests. The best specimens are found in acid peat beds.

Known hazards of Chamaecyparis thyoides:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.