Chamaecyparis, common names cypress or false cypress (to distinguish it from related cypresses), is a genus of conifers in the cypress family Cupressaceae, native to eastern Asia (Japan and Taiwan) and to the western and eastern margins of the United States. The name is derived from the Greek khamai, meaning ground, and kuparissos for cypress. They are medium sized to large evergreen trees growing from 20 to 70 m tall, with foliage in flat sprays. The leaves are of two types, needle-like juvenile leaves on young seedlings up to a year old, and scale-like adult leaves.

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana, commonly known as Port Orford Cedar or Lawson Cypress, is an evergreen species of conifer native to North America from Oregon to northwestern California and grows from sea level up to 4,900 feet in the valleys of the Klamath Mountains, often along streams. Plants are tolerant of pruning, so long as this does not extend into the brown barked wood because trees cannot regenerate from this and can thus be grown as a tall hedge. Pruning should be done in summer. It is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of materials. The resin is a powerful diuretic. The hardwood timber, which is now in short supply due to over-harvesting without replanting, is used for flooring, fencing and making boats. For best germination results, the seeds require a warm-moist stratification period of 30 days followed by cold-moist stratification period of 30 days.