Attracted by the bright and cheery lime green foliage, I picked up two Monterey Cypress Wilma Goldcrest at my local grocery store just before Christmas 2011. I thought their bright green fern like foliage would look particularly attractive on either side of our mantle, already decked out for Christmas.

Wilma Goldcrest was discovered in the 1980s as a sport of Goldcrest. It is a dwarf evergreen conifer, typically growing to a height of 2 meters (6 feet) and about 30 to 60 centimeters (1 – 2 feet) in width. Wilma’s foliage is a bright chartreuse green and has a fern like texture. Unfortunately for me it is hardy to Zone 7 (-12C to -17C), much warmer than my zone 5 climate, although some say it may survive to -25C (-10F). The good news is that Wilma Goldcrest makes a good container plant.

My plans are to repot my two specimens in spring and place them in urns on our front walkway. If they survive their first transition outdoors I will bring them in again in the fall, allowing them to once again brighten our fireplace for the winter.

Monterey Cypress Wilma Goldcrest just after purchasing in 2011