Soft Serve® False Cypress
Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Dow Whiting'
- Stay Protected with Plant Sentry ™
Soft Serve® False Cypress - Sprinter Pot is backordered and will ship as soon as it is back in stock.
Plant Sentry™
Plant Sentry™
Plant Sentry is designed to protect both consumers and the nursery trade from invasive plant pests and diseases. Sites that display the Plant Sentry protection badge are protected from consumers buying and nurseries shipping material carrying invasive pests and diseases.
This proprietary eCommerce software prevents the shipment of a restricted plant to each state. The Plant Sentry system includes a shipment certification program. The Plant Sentry Compliance Officer works closely with NatureHills.com and each nursery or fulfillment center to ensure only compliant plants are sold to customers.
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Delivery and Shipping
Delivery and Shipping
Shipping
To obtain a more accurate shipment time-frame, simply enter your zip code in the “Find Your Growing Zone” box to the right. Our plants are grown all over the country and lead time on items may be different because of this. Once your order is placed, you will also receive the specific shipment time-frame information as part of your order confirmation. Once an item ships, you will receive shipment notification and tracking numbers, so you can follow along while your plant travels to your doorstep. We use FedEx, UPS, or USPS at our discretion.
Due to winter weather we have put a hold on shipping to the areas shown below in grey. You can still order now and we will ship the plant to you during an appropriate time for your zone.
Standard Shipping Rates
At Nature Hills we handle, package and ship the products you order with the utmost care to ensure healthy delivery. Shipping and handling charges are calculated based on the tables below. Please note that some items include an additional handling surcharge, these will be noted on the item's product page.
From | To | S&H |
---|---|---|
$0 | $19.99 | $24.99 |
$20 | $49.99 | $29.99 |
$50 | $69.99 | $34.99 |
$70 | $99.99 | $39.99 |
$100 | $129.99 | $44.99 |
$130 | $149.99 | $48.99 |
$150 | $150+ | Approx 28% |
Click here to see our full rates
Understanding Plant Options
Nature Hills offers plants in two main formats:
- Container Plants: Grown in pots with soil, sized by container volume and plant age
- Bare Root Plants: Dormant plants without soil, sized by height measurements
Container Plant Sizes
Container sizes indicate plant age and growing capacity rather than liquid volume equivalents. Our containers follow industry-standard nursery "trade gallon" specifications, which differ from standard liquid gallon measurements.
Young Plants (6 months to 18 months old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
2" x 2" x 3" | 0.18 - 0.21 dry quarts | 0.20 - 0.23 dry liters |
4" Container | 0.31 - 0.87 dry quarts | 0.35 - 0.96 dry liters |
4.5" Container | 0.65 dry quarts | 0.72 dry liters |
6" Container | 1.4 dry quarts | 1.59 dry liters |
1 Quart | 1 dry quart | 1.1 dry liters |
5.5" Container | 1.89 dry quarts | 2.08 dry liters |
Established Plants (18 months to 2.5 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
2 Quart | 2 dry quarts | 2.2 dry liters |
#1 Container | 2.26 - 3.73 dry quarts | 2.49 - 4.11 dry liters |
5" x 5" x 12" | 3.5 - 4.3 dry quarts | 3.85 - 4.74 dry liters |
Mature Plants (2-4 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
#2 Container | 1.19 - 1.76 dry gallons | 5.24 - 7.75 dry liters |
#3 Container | 2.15 - 2.76 dry gallons | 8.14 - 12.16 dry liters |
Large Plants (3-5 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
#5 Container | 2.92 - 4.62 dry gallons | 12.86 - 20.35 dry liters |
#6 Container | 5.25 - 6.01 dry gallons | 23.12 - 26.42 dry liters |
#7 Container | 5.98 - 6.53 dry gallons | 26.34 - 28.76 dry liters |
Bare Root Plants
Bare root plants are sold by height from the root system to the top of the plant. Plants may exceed minimum height requirements.
Common Sizes:
- Trees: 1 foot, 2 feet, 3 feet, 4 feet, 5 feet, 6 feet
- Shrubs & Perennials: 1 foot, 18 inches, 2 feet
Important Notes
Container Volume Specifications
- Trade Gallon Standard: Our containers follow industry-standard "trade gallon" specifications established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI Z60.1) for nursery stock
- Volume Variations: Actual soil volume may vary due to plant root systems and growing medium settlement
- Age Indicators: Container size primarily indicates plant age and maturity rather than liquid volume equivalents
Growing Conditions
- Plant size can vary based on variety and growing conditions
- Container size helps indicate plant maturity and establishment level
- Larger containers generally mean more established root systems and faster landscape establishment
Seasonal Availability
- Bare root plants are available seasonally when dormant
- Container plants are available throughout the growing season
- Specific varieties may have limited availability in certain sizes
Questions?
For questions about specific plant sizes or availability, please contact our plant experts who can help you choose the right size for your landscape needs.
Plant Highlights
Soft Serve® False Cypress highlights at a glance!
Specifications
Specifications
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Brand
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Botanical Name
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Growing Zones
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Mature Height
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Mature Spread
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Sun ExposureFull Sun
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Moisture
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Soil
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Growth RateSlow
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Fall Color

Growing Zones 5-7
Exciting Compact Conifer Soft Serve® False Cypress
For a lovely, soft look all year long, try Soft Serve® False Cypress PP#20883 (Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Dow Whiting'). Use it in your landscaped beds or in containers. The leaves are bright green on top and flecked with silver blue in full sun.
This improved selection of False Cypress showcases its grace and beauty in a compact size. But the lush, conical shape of this Proven Winner® plant is the perfect size for use as a specimen or to create an easy-care hedge.
It features the typical soft fern-like branches of the False Cypress with a rich, bright green foliage and a silver blue underside that gives it a shimmer in the breeze. The very uniform pyramidal shape and dwarf size of Soft Serve® make it a perfect choice for many landscape applications, both formal and informal.
Like a Dwarf Alberta Spruce, this is a pyramid-shaped plant. But Soft Serve® has a looser, less formal look with an airier texture. This slow grower has a top height of 10 feet and takes on its wonderful shape with no extra work on your part.
You'll love the performance of this hard-working, beautiful evergreen.
How to Use Soft Serve® False Cypress in the Landscape
There are so many effective ways to use an easy-breezy evergreen pyramid throughout your landscape!
Try a single Soft Serve® specimen tree near a staircase behind large decorative pots for a well-grounded seasonal container garden display. Or, use them to create a beautiful moment of transition from a side yard into a backyard.
Create an anchor in a long perennial border or garden bed with a series of 3, 5, 7, or 9 of them, planted in a gentle zig-zag. They'll create a wonderfully soft backdrop for upright shrub roses or hydrangeas.
They would become a prized specimen in a collection of other dwarf evergreens, like the Bird's Nest Spruce, or Baker's Colorado Blue Spruce. Soft Serve®'s upright habit and texture would add dimension, and present beautifully with other rare and unusual conifers.
Also, consider using this plant to create a solid screen to block unwanted views. If you need an 8 to 10-foot, low-maintenance hedge, plant Soft Serve measuring 3 feet from trunk to trunk. For a head start on a hedge, be sure to buy the largest plant size we have on hand.
Plant this small tree in a large decorative container and you'll gain year-round appeal and years of enjoyment! Use two containers for a sentinel display at your front door.
Love birds? You'll be thrilled by the way songbirds and quail flock to Soft Serve® False Cypress as a winter shelter.
- Graceful, Soft, Fern-Like Branches
- Compact Conical Conifer
- Year-Round Visual Interest
- Ornamental Form
- Great Specimens, Ideal For Hedges & Perfect Container Plant
#ProPlantTips for Care
Select your location so it has protection from harsh winter sun and winds. Soft Serve Cypress is a good plant for cooler coastal ranges and eastern slopes in the hotter, dryer climates. Watch the water in the summer and grow this plant on the moist side.
This compact selection requires little or no pruning, but minimal pruning can be done in summer if desired to maintain it as a hedge.
Soft Serve® is extremely adaptable but prefers moist, well-drained soils with a pH of 5.5 to 6. Prepare your location with an acid planting mix if the pH is high. Amend your planting soil with about 25% Dr. Earths Acid Lovers Planting Mix and fertilize 4 times a year with Dr. Earths Acid Lovers Organic and Natural Acid Fertilizer to maintain lower pH.
Once it's planted, water it in very well, then place mulch to a depth of 3 to 4 inches. Spread the mulch out in a circle 3 feet around the trunk to keep roots cool and to cut down on surface moisture evaporation. Please, don't let the mulch touch the trunk itself!
Live in a deer area? Soft Serve® is known to be deer-resistant, however, it's always best to spray Deer Repellent the day you plant anything in "deer country".
- Full Sun
- Moderate Moisture Needs & Any Well-Drained Soil Location
- Prune In Summer - Minimal Pruning Needed Due To Methodical Slower Growth
- Low Maintenance
- Deer Resistant
- Salt Tolerant for Roadside Use
What a gorgeous small tree! You'll appreciate its beauty year-round. Order your Soft Serve® False Cypress from Proven Winners® and NatureHills.com today!