Cupressus Macrocarpa "Gold Rider" 20Liter

Botanical Name: Cupressus macrocarpa ‘Gold Rider’
Common Names: Gold Rider Cypress, Golden Monterey Cypress, Gold Rider Monterey Cypress

📌 Product Description

Cupressus macrocarpa ‘Gold Rider’ is a vibrant, golden evergreen conifer selected for its bright yellow-green foliage and strong upright growth habit. This cultivar offers excellent year-round colour, intensifying in full sun and providing bold contrast in landscapes.

Unlike the softer lemon-toned ‘Goldcrest’, ‘Gold Rider’ produces slightly denser foliage and a more robust, hedge-suitable structure. It is well suited for screening, boundary planting, and creating structured evergreen backdrops in South African gardens.

Hardy, fast growing, and adaptable, it performs particularly well in coastal and temperate regions.

📏 Size When Fully Grown

Height: 5 – 8 m (can be maintained lower with pruning)
Spread: 2 – 3 m
Growth Habit: Upright, conical evergreen
Growth Rate: Moderate to fast

🌱 Best Growing Conditions

Light: Full sun (best colour development)
Soil: Well-draining sandy or loamy soil; tolerates coastal conditions
Water:

• Water regularly during establishment
• Moderately drought tolerant once established
• Avoid prolonged waterlogged soil

Feeding: Apply a balanced slow-release fertiliser in spring to encourage dense, vibrant growth.

Maintenance:

• Prune lightly to maintain shape or hedge height
• Best trimmed in spring and late summer
• Avoid cutting into old, leafless wood

🌦️ Planting & Growing Season (South Africa)

Best Planting Time: Spring or early autumn
Active Growth: Spring and summer
Climate Suitability: Ideal for coastal and temperate South African regions
Frost Tolerance: Tolerates light to moderate frost once established
Wind Tolerance: Good wind resistance, suitable for coastal gardens

🌼 Additional Benefits

• Bright golden year-round foliage
• Excellent hedge and screening plant
• Coastal tolerant
• Evergreen structure
• Low maintenance once established

🌿 Ideal Uses

✔ Privacy hedging
✔ Boundary planting
✔ Coastal gardens
✔ Feature evergreen specimen
✔ Structured formal landscapes