Nootka Cypress 'Aurea' is a slow-growing evergreen conifer native to the misty Pacific Coast, from southeastern Alaska down to northern California. In the wild, this species reaches 60 to 90 feet and lives over 1,000 years, but in garden settings it grows much more modestly to 30 to 50 feet tall and 8 to 15 feet wide, making it manageable for most landscapes. The 'Aurea' selection offers rich golden foliage that deepens in full sun, with drooping sprays of scale-like leaves and small rounded seed cones. Hardy in zones 4 through 7, it thrives in cool, moist climates and performs best with consistent moisture and well-drained soil.
Partial Sun
Moderate
4-7
600in H x 180in W
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Moderate
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The golden foliage of 'Aurea' intensifies dramatically in full sun, creating a luminous presence in the winter garden when many conifers fade to dull green. Its slow, graceful growth habit and long lifespan mean you're planting for generations, not seasons. Native to coastal rainforests and stream ravines, this tree craves the cool summers and high humidity of northern gardens, making it especially rewarding for gardeners in climates that mimic its Pacific homeland.
Nootka Cypress 'Aurea' serves as an ornamental specimen plant and accent shrub in cool-climate gardens, valued for its elegant weeping habit and distinctive golden foliage. It functions well as a focal point in landscape design, a windbreak in exposed northern locations, and a structural element in woodland or naturalistic plantings that aim to echo Pacific Coast forest aesthetics.
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Remove any dead or diseased branches as needed to maintain the tree's natural weeping form. Avoid heavy pruning, as this species has a naturally graceful drooping habit that should be preserved. Minimal intervention keeps the plant healthy and visually striking.
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“Xanthocyparis nootkatensis is native to moist soils in bottomlands, along streams and in ravines along the Pacific Coast from southeastern Alaska to northern California. The species has been cultivated for centuries by coastal communities who valued its rot-resistant wood and graceful form. The 'Aurea' cultivar represents a garden selection bred specifically to enhance the golden coloration of the foliage, a refinement that emerged as this native species gained popularity in ornamental horticulture beyond its native range.”