When you’re looking for a tall, long-lived evergreen tree for your landscape, why not consider a cypress species? Cypress trees are often drought-tolerant, and their fast-growing, dense habit makes them ideal privacy screens.
Below are 12 ornamental cypress tree types that might be a good choice for your yard.
Cypress trees are an excellent choice for landscaping. With their attractive foliage, interesting bark, and appealing shapes, cypress trees can enhance the beauty of any yard or garden. Here are 12 of the best types of cypress trees to consider for your landscape.
1. Bald Cypress
The bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) is a large, deciduous conifer that grows well in moist areas and standing water. It has a pyramidal shape with feathery, light green needles that turn orange-brown in fall before dropping. Bald cypresses grow to 60-100 feet tall and adapts well to landscape plantings if its moisture needs are met.
2. Pond Cypress
Closely related to the bald cypress, the pond cypress (Taxodium ascendens) is an attractive smaller cypress growing 30-60 feet tall. It also loses its needles in fall and thrives near water. Pond cypress has a neatly pyramidal to columnar shape and makes a nice vertical accent in the landscape.
3. Leyland Cypress
A fast grower getting up to 40-60 feet tall, the Leyland cypress (Cupressus × leylandii) has a neat, formal look It keeps its rich green foliage through winter and tolerates pruning well The Leyland cypress works well as a tall screen or hedge.
4. Arizona Cypress
The Arizona cypress (Cupressus arizonica) is a lovely ornamental cypress for warm climates. It has bright green or silvery blue evergreen foliage and grows 30-60 feet tall. Plant it as a specimen tree or use it to create a tall evergreen hedge.
5. Italian Cypress
Reaching 60 feet or more at maturity the narrow Italian cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) is a dramatic vertical accent tree. Its columnar shape and dense deep green foliage make it ideal for landscape spots where a tall, exclamation point is desired.
6. Monterey Cypress
A picturesque cypress native to California, Monterey cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa) has a windswept, spreading shape and can reach up to 60 feet tall. Its deep green foliage and furrowed gray bark provide year-round interest.
7. Nootka Cypress
Nootka cypress (Cupressus nootkatensis), also called Alaskan cedar, has gracefully weeping branches with blue-green foliage. It grows to a narrowly pyramidal 40-50 feet tall and 15-25 feet wide. Use Nootka cypress as a specimen or windbreak.
8. False Cypress
Despite their common name, false cypress trees like Hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) are actually in the Cupressaceae family. Hinoki cypress has lush green foliage and a pyramidal to rounded form growing 30-50 feet tall. It’s deer resistant and tolerates pruning well.
9. Sawara Cypress
Sawara cypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera) is a handsome false cypress with lacy, feathery green foliage. It adapts well to pruning and shearing into formal shapes. Dwarf cultivars of Sawara cypress like ‘Boulevard’ excel as focal point plants in the garden.
10. Weeping Cypress
Weeping cypress varieties like the Chinese weeping cypress (Cupressus funebris) have gracefully cascading branches that make them attractive landscape specimens. Weeping cypress works well next to ponds and streams or cascading over stone retaining walls.
11. Dwarf Cypress
For small landscape spaces, choose a dwarf cypress like the dense, bun-shaped Hinoki cypress ‘Nana’. Dwarf cypress cultivars max out at just 3-6 feet tall but provide the beauty of cypress in a petite, easy to fit size. Use them in rock gardens, as patio plants, or in mixed containers.
12. Variegated Cypress
Add more color to your landscaping with variegated cypress varieties like Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Gracilis Aurea Nana’, which has golden yellow new growth that creates a nice contrast against mature green foliage. The dwarf, mounded form works nicely in beds, borders, and rock gardens.
With their interesting shapes, attractive foliage, and versatility, it’s easy to see why cypress trees are so popular for landscaping. Choose varieties that suit your climate and the size you need, and enjoy their beauty for years to come.
Cuyamaca Cypress Tree
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The Cuyamaca cypress (Hesperocyparis stephensonii) is a rare species native to San Diego. It reaches 30 to 50 feet tall and has silver-gray-green foliage and red bark.
Adaptable to a wide range of soils, this tree does best in a full sun position and in USDA hardiness zones 7 to 9.
MacNab Cypress Tree
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MacNab cypress (Hesperocyparis macnabiana) is a compact 10 to 30 feet tall when mature. It’s also unique amongst North American native cypress trees because it has flat, sprayed, lacey branches rather than three-dimensional ones.
Plant this drought-tolerant tree in USDA zones 6 to 8, in a full sun position with well-draining soil.
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FAQ
What is the prettiest cypress tree?
Chamaecyparis nootkatensis ‘Glauca’, or Nootka Cypress, is an incredibly beautiful, tall evergreen conifer. It forms a dense, conical shape with graceful, soft blue-green foliage. In summer, its blue tips contrast with the rest of the foliage, creating a stunning visual effect.
Why avoid Leyland Cypress?
Leyland cypress (x Cuprocyparis leylandii) has come under widespread attack by a potentially fatal fungus, Seiridium canker, which often causes trees to gradually die from the top down. Drought stress favors the development of this disease. Leyland cypress has become the South’s number one choice for tall screens.
What is the best cypress tree to plant?
- Monterey cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa) …
- Lemon Thread Cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa “Lemon Thread”) …
- Mediterranean Cypress or Italian Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) …
- Leyland Cypress (Cupresus x leylandii) …
- Pond Cypress (Taxodium ascendens) …
- Nootka Cypress (Cupressus nootkatensis)
What cypress trees stay small?
Dwarf Italian Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens ‘Compacta’) is a compact, narrow, and elegant evergreen tree, perfect for creating vertical accents, borders, or small hedges.
How many types of cypress trees are there?
They are an ancient line of coniferous trees that evolved over 200 million years ago. Most cypress trees belong to the Cupressus genus, with 22 currently accepted species worldwide. Other genera are also called cypress, including Hesperocyparis (17 species), Taxodium (2 species), Fitzroya (1 species), and Chamaecyparis (5 species).
Are cypress trees a good choice?
Cypress trees make an excellent option since they add shade, beauty, and lots of greenery to the garden. Different types of cypress trees are the perfect match for any garden size because they require low-maintenance routines. These landscaping trees can handle soil conditions with inadequate water supply.
Are cypress trees ornamental?
Cypress trees are common ornamental landscaping tree species. These evergreen trees have notable characteristics that make them valuable. Knowing these features is crucial before lining them up along your property. Height Most cypress trees can reach 70ft high. But there are some species that grow up to 25-65ft.
What cypress trees grow in California?
Monterey Cypress (Cupressus Macrocarpa) These are medium-size species native to California. The flat top forms and spreading sideways branches make these cypress trees unique. The tree can grow up to 130ft with soft, scaly, and bright green foliages. The leaves give a strong citrus scent after crushing. Bald Cypress (Taxodium Distichum)
Are cypress trees evergreen?
The leaf arrangement of cypress trees is either spirally, opposite pairs with each pair at a 90-degree angle to the previous pair of leaves, or in a whorled pattern, depending on the genus or species. Most species of cypress trees are evergreen, with the exception of those in the Taxodium genus, which are deciduous in nature.
Are cypress trees conifers?
True cypress trees belong to the coniferous plant genus Cupressus. Cypress trees such as the Monterey cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa) are large trees that grow in the Northern Hemisphere. False cypress trees are conifers that have the common name cypress but are not in the Cupressus genus.