Gold has not only gone off the charts in value but has become a hot commodity in the landscape, thanks to a group of plants called Chamaecyparis. The hot trend specifically centers on those called Gold Thread or Gold Mops, with the common name of false cypress.

The plants are so stunning in the landscape that they have overcome the lack of a marketable name: Most of us can't even begin to pronounce Chamaecyparis; add on the species name pisifera and the tongue twister just gets harder.

Gold Thread, a conifer, is a mounding evergreen shrub that is bright gold in full sun, giving way to chartreuse with more shade. Either color will stand out in dramatic fashion when grown against a backdrop of typical dark-green foliage. It has a wide range of adaptability, from the frigid zone 4 through the sultry zone 8.

The Gold Thread has a slow-to-moderate growth rate and can eventually reach 6 to 8 feet in height and width. Most that I see, however, are in the 3- to 4-foot range with an equal spread. Fertile, well-drained soil is mandatory for its long-term happiness. When you decide to plant, dig your planting hole two to three times wider than the rootball and set at the same depth it is growing in the container. If your soil is heavy, consider planting in raised beds in which you have incorporated a prepared landscape mix. Maintain a good layer of mulch to keep soil temperatures moderate in all seasons.

If you want to begin a conifer collection, the Gold Thread false cypress is a good place to start. If you simply want the landscape to dazzle in the winter as well as the rest of the year, use a cluster in front of hollies, or tall junipers. For the ultimate wow effect, consider partnering them with some blue needled conifers. Regardless of how you use them, the Gold Thread promises to be among the showiest shrubs in the landscape.