• Home
  • Coniferous Animals
  • Coniferous Trees
  • About Coniferous Forest
  • Contact
Home > Cypress > Italian Cypress (Mediterranean Cypress)

Italian Cypress (Mediterranean Cypress)

Italian cypress is a medium-sized conifer found across the Mediterranean region. It has also been grown in colder places like North America, New Zealand, and the British Isles.

Italian Cypress

Scientific Classification

KingdomPlantae
DivisionPinophyta
ClassPinopsida
OrderPinales
FamilyCupressaceae
GenusCupressus
Scientific NameCupressus sempervirens

Italian Cypress Tree

Italian Cypress Trees

Italian Cypress Pictures

Italian Cypress Wall

Quick Information

Other NamesMediterranean cypress, Tuscan cypress, pencil pine, graveyard cypress
Tree TypeEvergreen
IdentificationHeight: Up to 35 meters (115 feet)

Needles (Leaves): Dark green and scaly with lengths of 2-5 millimeters, and grows on round shoots

Trunk Diameter: 1.5 feet

Cones: ½-1 inch oval shaped brown colored with a dry, hard exterior

Seeds: Tiny, flattened, brown, lacking resin blisters

DistributionLibya, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Albania, Croatia, Greece, Turkey, Malta, Italy, Jordan, Cyprus, Iran
HabitatDry and hilly areas
Hardiness Zones7B-11
Growth RateMedium
Lifespan50-150 years; some have been reported to live for over 1,000 years
Growing ConditionsSoil Requirements: Well-drained sandy, loamy or clay, pH irrelevant

Light Requirements: Full sun

Rainfall: Not mandatory; high drought tolerance

Summer Conditions: Impervious to long drawn out summers

Winter Conditions: Not too tolerant of cold temperatures, especially during the first year of life

Diseases & PestsMay suffer from cypress canker because of a fungus named Seiridium cardinal; bagworms and mites also cause problems sometimes
Breeding SystemMonoecious
PropagationCutting and layering
Seedling DevelopmentSeeds germinate slowly and may take up to a year from germination to planting.
Wildlife ValueNon-existent
Cultivars
  • Glauca (Blue)
  • Contorta
  • Green Pencil
  • Gracilis
  • Swane’s Golden
  • Swane’s Variegated
  • Nitschke’s Needle
  • Dwarf or Tiny Tower
UsesWidely used as an ornamental tree, fire-resistant wood used for construction, furniture making; Also used as an astringent, anti-dandruff, anti-aging, anti-seborrheic and as a fragrance
IUCN Conservation StatusLeast Concern

Mediterranean Cypress

Mediterranean Cypress Tree

Interesting Facts

  • The scientific name sempervirens means evergreen in Latin.
  • There is a 4,000 year-old Mediterranean cypress tree in Iran.
  • This tree has been associated with mourning because of its use in cemeteries.

Cypress Mediterranean

Mediterranean Cypress Trees

Dwarf Italian Cypress

Italian Cypress Bonsai

References:

  1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cupressus_sempervirens
  2. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ST225
  3. https://www.thetreecenter.com/italian-cypress/
  4. https://sites.redlands.edu/trees/species-accounts/italian-cypress/
  5. https://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/3413#b
  6. https://www.weekand.com/home-garden/article/soil-preparation-italian-cypress-18033050.php

Published on February 27th 2017 by Sudipto Chakrabarti under Cypress.
Article was last reviewed on 26th June 2023.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

26 − 25 =

    • Recent Posts

      • Cedar Tree of Lebanon
      • Eastern Red Cedar
      • Black-backed Woodpecker
      • Eastern Gray Squirrel
      • Bohemian Waxwing
      • Norway Spruce
      • Douglas Squirrel
      • Northern Goshawk
      • Bighorn Sheep
      • Eastern Milk Snake
      • Ovenbird
      • California Redwood
      • Western Terrestrial Garter Snake
      • Foxtail Pine
      • Snow Goose
    • Categories

      • Coniferous Forest Animals
      • Coniferous Trees
        • Cedar
        • Cypress
        • Fir
        • Hemlock
        • Juniper
        • Larch
        • Pine
        • Spruce
        • Yew

© 2025 (Coniferous Forest). All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

  • Privacy Policy