Yellow Cypress Shrubs
- Chamaecyparis obtusa "Tetragona Aurea" is also known as the golden fernleaf cypress. It may be an option for you if your home sits in U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zones 4 through 8. This plant grows 5 feet high and 3 feet wide. North Carolina State University describes its foliage as "glossy golden yellow to bronze-yellow fern-like needles in four rows," noting it takes on yellow-green and blue-green hues when planted in shade. It has curved branches that take on the form of an upright pyramid.
- The south side of the Chamaecyparis pisifera "Filifera Aurea" offers the most golden yellow color, while the north side and shaded portions may have yellow-green or green foliage. Also known as the golden threadleaf sawara cypress, this shrub is a good fit for zones 4 through 7. This slow-grower eventually reaches a height of 15 to 20 feet and produces small cones.
- Chamaecyparis obtusa "Verdoni" or Verdon hinoke cypress, grows best in zones 4 to 8. This compact shrub offers green foliage tinged with yellow and grows 3 to 6 inches per year. It reaches 3 to 8 feet in height and 2 to 3 feet in width.
- The Chamaecyparis obtusa "Crippsii" or golden hinoke cypress displays bright yellow foliage on its branches, while the center of the shrub remains green. It can grow 8 to 10 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide. It has loose, open branches and grows about a foot per year. North Carolina State University says this plant offers good winter color. You can grow it in zones 4 through 8.
- Lemonlike hues accent the Chamaecyparis obtusa "Confucius" or yellow hinoki cypress. It assumes a broad, pyramid form and achieves a height of 5 to 10 feet. This shrub is a good fit for zones 4 to 8.