Cypress Trees
Uses:
- Specimen Plants
- Pond Borders
- Privacy Screen
- Vertical Lines to Landscaping
Features:
- Pest & Disease Resistant
- Heat, Cold, Salt, & Humidity Tolerant
- Evergreen Scale-Like Foliage
Sunlight:
- Partial Sun to Full Sun
- 5+ Hours of Direct Sun
Growing Zones:
- 2-9
- What is My Zone?
True cypress trees are members of the Cupressus genus. Most are hardy evergreens with emerald green, scale-like foliage. Leland Cypress and Italian Cypress grow quickly and make excellent privacy screens. Bald and pond cypresses, part of the related Taxodium genus, grow well near water and are deciduous. By contrast, the low-growing Russian and Siberian cypresses (Microbiota decussata) make an excellent evergreen groundcover and are useful for erosion control.
About Cypress Trees
Genus
Chamaecyparis
Species
20+
Family
Cupressaceae
Common Names:
False-cypress
Native To:
East & West North America, Japan, Laos, Taiwan, Viet Nam
Plant Type:
Trees
Foliage Type:
Evergreen
USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
2 - 13
Flower Color:
"Gold/Yellow, Green, Red/Burgundy
Flower Bloom Time:
No true flowers
Growth Habit:
Conical, Erect
Attracts:
Bees, Birds
Tolerates
"Drought, Salt"
Resists:
Deer, Rabbits
How To Use Cypress Trees In The Garden
Many gardeners admire cypress trees for their distinctive columnar silhouettes, attractive scaly foliage, and relatively quick growth. These evergreens can reach impressive heights in suitable climates, providing year-round greenery and a subtle, resinous fragrance. Several popular varieties (like the fast-growing Leyland cypress) are valued for forming natural privacy screens or windbreaks. Cypress trees are often low-maintenance and adaptable once established.
Outside, rows of cypress along property edges can create a striking sense of enclosure and shelter. Interspersing them with low shrubs or ornamental grasses highlights the contrasting shapes while preserving an airy, layered look. Some homeowners place cypress near pathways or gardens as a unifying element for a Mediterranean or coastal design theme. In rural settings, planting cypress in clusters can yield a woodland effect, especially when mixed with other evergreens or broadleaf specimens.