Chamaecyparis obtusa hinoki cypress

Hinoki cypress from the 1915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition, Filoli. Sairus Patel, 18 Apr 2024

Hinoki, as it is called in Japan, has been revered for centuries for providing timber of exceptional quality and durability. Like C. lawsoniana of our Pacific Northwest, it has given rise to many cultivars, including dwarf forms. The branchlets, covered in tiny scaly leaves, form pleasing, flat, fan-like sprays that often serve to identify the species. At 723 Mayfield Avenue, a row of shrubby plants is in a raised bed on the left of the driveway. Two magnificent specimens that came from the 1915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition are at Filoli in Woodside, at the steps that lead to the meadow on the west side of the house (map pin). They were 4 feet tall when planted along with another adjacent pair, now removed. A specimen with a less imposing trunk stands on the left of the dome-shaped southern magnolia near the entrance to the gift shop courtyard (map pin). In Palo Alto, a handsome 20 foot tall tree is on the left at 210 East Meadow Drive.