The Italian cypress is one of the best known tress around the world. Its distinctive columnar shape and pointed top make it stand out in virtually all landscapes and gardens. Mature tree often grow 40-60 ft. tall. Scale-like foliage is deep green; persistent bark is rough and medium to dark brown. Hard brown fruit grow to 1 in. dia. and persist in clusters for many months.

Italian cypress is the quintessential signature plant of Mediterranean gardens and widely planted in the Inland Empire. Its vertical habit and cylindrical shape, in combination with its tall height, makes it a natural accent and feature element in any landscape. It is commonly used in formal plantings, as a sentry element nearby entries, a punctuation feature next to towers and in rows along driveways where it creates tall walls and screens.

Italian cypress grows well in a variety of soil types, including clayey and calcareous. It grows faster with moderate amounts of moisture, but can withstand drier conditions as it matures. Several cultivated selections exist in the trade including: C. s. ‘Stricta’ grows with a very narrow circumference; C. s. ‘Glauca’ has rich blue-green foliage; and C. s. ‘Swanes Golden’ is a cultivar with bright yellow new growth and can reach 20-22 ft. tall.