It is a gold threadleaf false cypress, Chamaecyparis pisifera filifera 'Aurea'.

Pruning is the same for as most needled evergreens, you can prune the new growth as it is growing and good sized in the spring but before it really hardens. Like most conifers, it doesn't really regenerate from old wood, so if you cut off all of the live foliage it's probably done for.

well.. its a conifer.. which are trees.. for sure you will get a definitive name in that forum... but i am pretty sure ...

my best guess is chamacyparis lemon thread.. ... with the full name at the link... and pix!!!

its one of those.. with the dropping leader.. and you wonder how it ever grows upwards.. lol ...

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

i didnt see the pruning ???

whats your goal???

if you leave a brown stick.. it will die. back to a fork in the road so you PRUNE [NOT SHEAR] ... back..

look at you hand.. spread your fingers...

think of that as the fingernails as the live tips ... .. if you want to shorten that branch ... you first take out the middle finger.. at the top of the palm ...

if thats not enough.. you go all the way back to the thumb.. leaving just that part of the branch.. removing all else ...

if you go that far .. you will leave holes in the plant.. but those will fill in .. over the years ...

if you look at the pix.. this tree has massive potential ... and if it is poorly sited.. because someone did not know better.. way back when ... consider removal .... and starting over ...

chamaecyparis is pretty easy to root with a few considerations [relatively speaking for a conifer] .. if you tried to root 10 pieces.. you will probably get one or two ... and in a year or two when they had enough roots to go free range ... you could get rid of the monster.. and replant a babe.. and be home free for another decade or two ...

ken

ps: denn's aurea.. is just an older latin version of thread leaf.. for all practical purposes.. for 99% of us

Here is a link that might be useful: propagation links

Afisher, why is it that you ask about pruning? What's your goal?

Your posts are extremely helpful. In my opinion, the cypress is too "bushy" and blocks too much of the front window. Should I 'shear' back the leaves or is there an alternative to giving the cypress a better looking form?

I'd turn it into a tree instead of fighting it trying to keep it into a overgrown, trimmed, bush.
Maybe give it a layered look like I should have.
Mike
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