Cupressus sempervirens 'Stricta' (Mediterranean Cypress)


  • TropPlant Accession Number (TPAN): 0064
  • Botanical Name: Cupressus sempervirens
  • Common Name: Italian Cypress, Mediterranean Cypress, Turkish Cypress, Common Cypress 
  • Cultivar: 'Stricta' (Some people include subspecific names for the two general forms: fastigiate ('Stricta') & horizontal. The fastigiate form is treated as a cultivar, while the horizontal form is believed to be the form pre-horticultural intervention. The fastigiate form is the form/cultivar described specifically in this post. Additionally there are compact forms of the fastigiate form.)
  • Family: Cupressaceae
Cupressus sempervirens on the UH Manoa Campus 
Photo by Matthew Gaston



Cupressus sempervirens 
Photo by Matthew Gaston

  • Native To: Mediterranean Region from Morocco & Spain to Egypt, Israel & Iran

Landscaping Information: 

    • Plant Type: Tree, Conifer, Evergreen
    • Texture: Fine
    • Form: Conical, Upright-Narrow
    • Height (on average, in landscape use):  45' - 60'
    • Height to Spread Ratio: 13:1 
    • Growth Rate: Medium
    • Landscape Values:  Accent, Background, Border, Edging, Facer, Filler, Foundation, Framing, Mass, Quick Effect, Screen, Sculptural Form, Space Division, Specimen, Windbreak
    • Outstanding Quality: Form/Silhouette

    Botanical Descriptions: 

    • Cones: Female cones are roundish, stocky, 8-14 opposite scales, grayish-brown, and remain on the branch for many years due to fire-mediated serotiny. Male cones are minuscule and yellow.
    Cupressus sempervirens male cones
    Cupressus sempervirens branches bearing leaves with terminal male cones 
    Photo by Matthew Gaston
     
    • Foliage Color:  Young/immature: Light Green. Mature: Bright medium green to blue-green
    • Foliage Tip: Obtuse
    • Foliage Base: Obtuse
    • Petiole: n/a
    • Stipules: n/a
    • Margins: Smooth
    • Leaf Arrangement: Opposite (Decussate)
    • Leaf Shape: Ovate
    • Leaf Type: Scale
    • Leaf Texture: Waxy, smooth
    • Leaf Special Notes: Small, opposite scale-like leaves. The photos included in this page are rather poor and not focused on these minuscule leaves.
    Cupressus sempervirens branches bearing leaves  
    Photo by Matthew Gaston

    • Bark and Trunk: Juvenile bark is grayish, smooth & glossy maturing into a vertically furrowed grayish-brown bark.
    Cupressus sempervirens branches bearing leaves  
    Photo by Matthew Gaston


    Horticultural Information: 

      • Light Preference: Full Sun
      • Light Tolerances: Semi-Sun
      • Soil Preferences: Acidic, Slightly Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline, Clay, Loam, Sand, Organic, Moist, Dry (Mesic), Well-Drained. Does well in most soil types as long as it is well draining with no standing water.
      • Tolerances: Drought
      • Water Requirements: Low water needs. Susceptible to root rot, so needs well-draining soil.
      • Notes on Maintenance: Fastigiate form (tall, narrow, needle-shaped) do not require any pruning. Susceptible to root rot (if soil is wet & saturated for long durations) and a fungal pathogen causing shoot browning. By planting in a mesic, full sun area with relatively low humidity, these two moisture related diseases will be less likely to occur and spread. This is a Mediterranean plant that can be grown in drier areas of tropical landscapes.

      Cupressus sempervirens with fungal shoot browing.
      Photo by Matthew Gaston


      • Propagation: Seeds, Cutting, Layer
      • Minimum USDA Hardiness Zone: 7
      • Weed Risk Assessment Score (WRA): 9, High Risk

      Most Popular Plants

      Graptophyllum pictum (Caricature Plant)

      Ficus microcarpa var. crassifolia (Wax Fig)

      Bucida buceras 'Variegated' (Dwarf Variegated Geometry Tree)

      Pseuderanthemum carruthersii var. carruthersii (Variegated False Eranthemum)

      Breynia disticha (Snow Bush)

      Jatropha integerrima (Peregrina)