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Common Name: Chinese Weeping Cypress

General Information

Cupressus funebris is an evergreen tree that can grow up to 25.00 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of materials..

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

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Range

E. Asia - China.

Habitat

Forms woods on mountain slopes and ravines, especially in limestone areas, from sea level to 1100 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	25.00 m
Pollinators	Wind
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Thrives in a well-drained loamy or peaty soil[]. Very tolerant of hot dry conditions[]. Tolerates poor sandy soils[] but is then more subject to insect damage in a succession of dry seasons[]. Requires a sunny position[]. Prefers a pH of 6 or lower[].
Somewhat tender in Britain, at least in the north of the country[], it also seems to be short-lived[]. Plants do not succeed at Kew[].
Cultivated as a timber crop in China[].
Cones can remain closed on the tree for a number of years, opening after the heat of a forest fire to scatter their seeds which then germinate and grow rapidly in the ashes of the fire[].
Plants are subject to injury by the wind[, ].
Trees are notably susceptible to honey fungus[].
The crushed foliage has the scent of grass[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The leaf is antiperiodic[]. It is used in the treatment of bleeding piles, excessive menstrual flow etc[].
A decoction of fruiting branches is used in the treatment of colds[].

Other Uses

Wood - hard, tough, white, durable, close grained. Used for general construction, agricultural implements etc[, ].

Propagation

Seed - sow late winter in a cold frame and only just cover the seed[]. Three weeks cold stratification can improve germination rates[]. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 2 months at 20°c. The seedlings are very subject to damping off so should be watered with care and kept well-ventilated[]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. The seed can store for several years[].
Cuttings of almost ripe wood, September in a frost-proof frame[]. mid spring is the best time to take cuttings[].