Lawson's cypress is fairly tolerant of shading, growing in both full sunlight and partial shade (2) (5). It can therefore act as both a pioneer, rapidly occupying disturbed areas in a stand, or as a climax species, gradually replacing other pioneer species in a process of succession (2). With a moderate growth rate, Lawson's cypress reaches maturity after 250 to 300 years, living for as long as 560 years, but first begins reproducing after just five to nine years (2) (5). The male and female cones begin to develop in the spring but do not become reproductively active until the following spring (2). As is the case with all conifers, pollination occurs when a small but crucial fraction of the abundant pollen produced by the male cones is transferred by wind to ovules within the female cones (8). The winged seeds reach maturity in October but are released from the cones throughout the year and are dispersed by both wind and water (2).