A mid-twentieth century mutation of C. pisifera 'Filifera Aurea,' 'Golden Mop' improved on its parent with brighter color, finer foliage, and a slower growth rate that makes it more tractable in smaller gardens. The pendulous, scale-like leaves are a clear, warm yellow-green that holds through the year without fading, and the rounded, pyramidal form tops out at five feet over time, though reaching two feet can take a decade. The exfoliating reddish-brown bark is visible through the curtain of foliage in places, adding a quiet warmth at the center of the plant.

Despite its somewhat extravagant appearance, 'Golden Mop' is genuinely low-maintenance. It seldom needs pruning, tolerates some drought once established, and performs consistently in full sun to partial shade and well-drained, moist to average soils. The golden foliage is at its most vivid in good light and holds that color faithfully into the colder months, making it one of the more reliably ornamental winter plants in a temperate garden. It works well in rock gardens, as a specimen, along foundations, or planted in rows as a low hedge. Zones 4 through 8 give it ample range.