There are five or six species of Chamaecyparis, depending on taxonomic opinion; C. taiwanensis is treated by many as a variety of C. obtusa (as C. obtusa var. formosana).
Another species which used to be included in this genus, as Chamaecyparis nootkatensis, has now been transferred on the basis of strong genetic and morphological evidence to the separate genus Callitropsis as Callitropsis nootkatensis, or back to Cupressus nootkatensis (the name it was originally described under in 1824).
Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Filifera' - usually 6' tall by 8' wide but can be larger; green foliage is scale-like, covering thin pendulous stems with an overall semi-weeping habit
Sawara Falsecypress, a large tree in its native Japan, is often represented by selections of its various evergreen shrubs, which themselves exhibit differences in foliage color (blue, yellow, and green), size, and growth habit (upright, spreading, and/or pendulous).
Chamaecyparis pisifera is known for its smaller evergreen variants which are shrubs that have distinctive growth habits and vibrant foliage colors.
The Chamaecyparisgenus consists of 7 species of monoecious, evergreen, coniferoustrees from forest in Taiwan, Japan, and North America.
Chamaecyparis is a popular genus for bonsai however it is difficult to maintain it's appearance and is difficult to style well.
There are a number of varieties available of which the most commonly used are Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Boulevard' /Boulevard Cypress which has steel-blue foliage and Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Plumosa' has more frond-like foliage, bright-green when young.