PlantFiles: Italian Cypress, Funeral Cypress, Mediterranean Cypress
Cupressus sempervirens

4 plants of this species are gracefully growing along the wall of my lawn. The italian cupressus is compact and does not spread. Its upright branches make it beautiful.It needs not the trimming other species need. Snow dimantles other varieties of this species but not the italian one.I want to propagate the species by cuttings and would like to know the details of the material and the method required including a simple and common rooting medium

A.R.Wadoo

Such a humble, yet such a noble tree! I don't understand how can so many people want to cut down Italian cypresses so as to plant a bed of perennial flowers or whatever.
I have seen the plain wild form with horizontal branches in Cyprus and they are really macabre looking. But the fastigiate variety adds a sense of permanence to a garden. Of course, it needs very careful placing in the landscape, or it will look completely out of place. And I think it is best to plant something contrasting at its feet, then it looks good.
Actually, one of the main features of the Balchik University Botanic Gardens are two rows of fastigiate Italian cypresses with very old clipped boxwood plants between them. These two rows are on both sides of an artificial brook, and there is a large collection of cacti, agaves and euphorbias right next to them. Along with a couple of flower beds, this part of the garden is called Allah's garden. It truly looks amazing.

When I lived in Roseville, Ca, I planted a dozen seedlings as a barrier near the back fence to block the view of the neighbor's ugly yard. The first few years were tricky, as the young trees tended to topple over during a rainstorm. After they reached about 10 feet in height, they were solidly rooted and I had no further problems. To get them to grow fast and give them drainage, I dug 3ft deep holes in the ground. Where I lived, this depth broke through the nasty clay topsoil to the sandy stuff beneath. Sand is great for drainage, which these trees need so the roots don't rot. I doubt these trees would do well in north Dallas because of the bad soil conditions here. The deep clay doesn't provide the necessary drainage.

Aside from a Juniper, these were the only trees in our yard when we moved in a few years ago... very common trees all over California (too common)... Don't make all that great a shade unless planted right next to each other (which ours are)... are VERY messy trees, dumping a load of 'needles' yearly... but which tend to get trapped in the branches thanks to the upright shape of all the branches... then suddenly dropping several pounds of litter all at once... also all that litter makes for a huge fire hazard.. Saying that, they still are sort of an odd tree, and though tempted to have them all cut down and removed, they do shade our house a bit, and I can grow palm trees up between them. Ours are about 50' tall right now. I see them topped often- not sure how good that is for the tree, but doesn't obviously seem to hurt them any.

This plant grows extensively in Austin, Texas.

Italian Cypress is a relatively quick growing evergreen tree that can eventually grow to over 100 feet tall. They are a good choice where space is at a premium. A row of several can be used as a windbreak. They are usually planted in groups of threes as an accent against a tall building, with underplantings of flowering shrubs or colorful perennials. They can be used to "hide" an ugly wall. I have even seen pictures of them with their tops tied together, turning them into a kind of "living arch".