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Italian Cypress
Cupressus sempervirens
Functional, simple, fragrant, and noble- the Italian Cypress Tree is the complete package! Mediterranean Cypress are amazingly simple to grow and will give your landscape the look and feel of an Italian Villa.
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Italian Cypress Trees for Sale Online
Italian Cypress Trees (Cupressus sempervirens) are an evergreen tree that is often used for Mediterranean-style landscaping.
Also known as Tuscan Cypress, Persian Cypress, or Eastern Mediterranean Cypress, the Italian Cypress is praised for its tall, narrow, columnar growth habit. Iconic to the Italian countryside aesthetic, these stunning trees can be seen planted in rows, lining numerous roads, paths, and driveways. Italian Cypress tree foliage grows in dense sprays that are a rich dark green to blue-green in color.
The Mediterranean Cypress are fast-growing conifers that can grow up to 2.5 feet per year and can reach up to 80 feet at maturity! Beyond their fast growth rate and tall form, the Italian Cypress is loved for its easy adaptability to various environments and soil types. Specifically, these landscape trees are drought tolerant and can withstand extremely hot, dry conditions.
Ideal conditions for growing these columnar evergreens include at least six hours of sunlight daily, along with well-drained soil and light mulching around the base of the tree. We recommend you water young trees regularly until they are established.
| Hardiness Zone: | 7-10 |
|---|---|
| Mature Height: | 30 to 40 Feet |
| Mature Width: | 4 to 6 Feet |
| Sunlight: | Full sun |
| Foliage Color: | Blue-green |
| Growth Form: | Upright columnar |
| Soil: | Very tolerant of various soil conditions |
| Special Attributes: | Deer resistant, fire resistant, drought resistant, very long lived, narrow upright growth habit, requires little to no pruning |
How to Care for Italian Cypress
Before you buy an Italian Cypress Tree, make sure to read about the recommended care instructions that are recommended to keep this plant healthy and thriving.
How do I plant my Italian Cypress Tree?
Never plant Italian Cypress deeper than originally planted in the pot. As a rule we always say that before you mulch you should still be able to see the soil from the original pot. Planting too deep can cause rotting of the stem and death to the tree. Italian Cypress Trees are very drought tolerant, however they grow very slow without adequate water. Staking young trees is recommended to minimize the stress on the stem from winds blowing the tree. When tying trees to stakes remember the tree will continue to grow. Loosely tie the tree with several twist ties to allow for growth. Check trees every three months and loosen as needed. If this is not done, the twist tie will grow into the tree causing injury. A Pro-Tip that we can offer is to use a short length of old garden hose and run the tie wire through the hose. This will protect the trunk of the tree from being damaged by the tie wire. The one question that comes up often when talking to customers is “when is the best time to plant”? For the most part, container trees can be planted year 'round, provided the ground isn’t frozen. When planting a potted tree, remember the only water source the tree has is its small root ball, and all the water the tree uses must come from them until new roots can grow into the surrounding soil. New trees should be watered twice weekly (minimum), under hot, drier conditions possibly more. Care should be taken not to over-water. More trees die from over-watering than under.
How should I prune my Italian Cypress Tree?
Pruning is generally not needed; however, for a formal hedge start shearing when the tree reaches 5 to 6 feet in height, cutting only the sides, remove no more than 3 or 4 inches of growth at any time. This will cause the tree to grow thicker and more dense. If you want the tree to grow tall don’t cut the top leader, just shape the sides. The best time to shear is after a new growth finishes and the growth begins to harden off. Growth will go from a smooth, greasy texture, to a rougher snake skin look as it matures. Shearing once per year is sufficient but only if needed. To keep your trees at a particular height requires cutting the central leader or top and then shearing all outside growth as needed. Pruning can help make Italian Cypress more dense. It is recommended that you disinfect your shears before you begin and even after each plant to prevent disease spread. Dead or diseased limbs may be pruned at any time of the year.
When should I fertilize my Italian Cypress?
We recommend when planting your plants to use Bio-tone starter fertilizer by Espoma. We have trialed many so called “starter fertilizers” over the years and have come to rely on Bio-tone exclusively for our own use. Simply mix the recommended amount of Bio-tone into the back fill soil and water in generously when back filled. Bio-tone® Starter Plus is an all-natural plant food that is combined with a stronger concentration of beneficial bacteria along with both endo and ecto mycorrhizae. Basically the “good” fungus in Bio-tone colonizes on the growing roots of your newly planted plant and does not allow disease causing fungus to attack the new roots. It has also shown promise in stimulating the growth of the new roots which means quicker establishment for you plant. After establishment and during the following years we recommend Holly-tone used at the recommended rates. Holly-tone is also organic and slow release which will feed your trees the proper amount of nutrients over a period of time rather than all at once which can burn the root tips and actually have the opposite effect of slowing down plant growth. It also will help to naturally maintain the acid level in the soil that Italian Cypress need to thrive.
What types of soil will Italian Cypress Trees grow in?
Italian Cypress Trees grow well in a wide range of soils, ranging from all sand to pure red clay. When planting in very sandy soils, adding organic matter is always recommended to improve the soils ability to hold water and nutrients. When planting in hard clay soils, it's best to dig the hole several feet wider than the root system and fill with soft loam soil to give the young Italian Cypress tree a faster, more aggressive root system. Italian Cypress prefer well drained soils but will tolerate wet soils for short periods of time. Cypress should never be planted in soils that are excessively wet for long periods of time. Since Italian Cypress have a shallow root system, weeds and grass growing around the tree will cause the tree to grow much slower until established. Mulching will improve your growth three fold. Mulch not only stops weeds and grass, it will hold soil moisture and maintain a lower more even soil temperature, stimulating more aggressive root growth.
