Port Orford cedar 'Blue Surprise'

Try to plant in a location that enjoys full sun and remember to water moderately. Keep in mind when planting that Blue Surprise is thought of as hardy, so this plant will survive close to or on freezing temperatures. Blue Surprise tends to grow best in a soil ph of between 5.6 and 7.5 meaning it does best in weakly acidic soil - weakly alkaline soil.

Ensure that temperatures are mild and all chance of frost has passed before planting out, as Blue Surprise is a hardy plant.

Non-patented³.

It was first discovered (by Euro-Americans) near Port Orford in Oregon and introduced into cultivation in 1854, by collectors working for the Lawson & Son nursery in Edinburgh, Scotland, after whom it was named as Lawson Cypress by the describing botanist Andrew Murray². The USDA officially calls it by the name Port Orford cedar, as do most people in its native area, but some botanists prefer to use the name Lawson cypress (or in very rare instances Port Orford cypress) instead. The name “Lawson’s cypress” is widely used in horticulture². This tree has many botanical synonyms, but the current officially-accepted name is Chamaecyparis lawsoniana^{1 2}.

¹ The Plant List

² Chamaecyparis lawsoniana on Wikipedia

³ Blue Surprise on Dave’s Garden