Few plants reward slow attention like the 'Nana' Hinoki cypress. A true dwarf selection of Chamaecyparis obtusa, a species native to the mountain forests of Japan, this cultivar takes the word patience literally. Ten years of careful growing may yield just eight inches of height, though the eventual form, a compact flattened globe with layered, tiered branches, is worth every season of waiting. The foliage arranges itself in twisting, fan-shaped branchlets that smell faintly sweet when crushed, a quality that makes even a brush against it in passing a small pleasure.

At its mature height of around three feet, 'Nana' becomes an anchor for small-scale plantings, contributing permanence and fine texture to rock gardens, container groupings, and border fronts where larger shrubs would overwhelm. It wants moist, well-drained soil, a humid atmosphere, and shelter from rough disturbance. It does not transplant happily once settled, so place it thoughtfully. Zones 4 through 8 suit it, and the dark evergreen foliage holds through the hardest winter without flinching.