Choose cypress by outline: Italian column, Monterey or lemon, Arizona, or Kashmir.
Choose Italian, Monterey, Arizona, or Kashmir
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Italian | A narrow column for a driveway or formal pair | Do not expect a 4-foot nursery plant to stay 4 feet |
| Monterey / lemon | Gold Goldcrest or Wilma for a small gold cone; species for a coastal windbreak | Do not plant a spreading Monterey where you wanted a pencil |
| Arizona | A blue-gray pyramid for a dry screen | Do not stack them 3 feet apart like Italian |
| Tag | Read the Latin — Cupressus, not Taxodium or Chamaecyparis | Do not trust a bag that only says cypress |
Know your USDA hardiness zone before you pick a type of cupressus that will take your winter. Type your ZIP below.
2023 USDA ZIP listings (PRISM / USDA-ARS). Find Your USDA Hardiness Zone · Official USDA map.
Read the species on the tag. True cypress share How to Grow Cypress for sun and drain. The choice is which outline you bought. [1] [2] A 1-foot nursery plant can still become a 60-foot column or a 20-foot pyramid. Size on the pot is not the mature size.
What is the difference between Italian, lemon, and Arizona cypress?
Italian is a narrow dark column. Lemon cypress is Goldcrest, a gold Monterey. Arizona is a wider drought pyramid.
Browse by kind
The catalog falls into four groups. Shop names that are not on the list are not extra kinds. [3]
Italian cypress
Italian Cypress is the usual driveway pencil — 40 to 70 feet tall and only 3 to 6 feet wide. The column is the habit, not a shear. Tiny Tower is a shop name, not a separate card.
Monterey and lemon cypress
Goldcrest is lemon cypress: gold juvenile sprays with a lemon scent when crushed. Wilma is the tighter dwarf. Monterey Cypress the species is a spreading coastal tree, not a 4-foot gold cone.
Arizona cypress
Arizona Cypress is a drought pyramid 15 to 20 feet wide at maturity. Blue Ice is the smooth Arizona with blue-gray sprays. Do not plant them as an Italian pencil row.
Kashmir cypress
Kashmir Cypress is the weeping form. Hang sprays, not a tight column. Same sun and drain as the rest of the genus.
Not bald cypress, Leyland, or a cypress vine
Bald cypress is Taxodium — see How to Grow Bald Cypress. False cypress is Chamaecyparis — see How to Grow False Cypress. Leyland is a hybrid hedge, not a true Cupressus in this catalog. Cypress vine is Ipomoea quamoclit — see Types of Morning Glory. [4]
Is Leyland a true cypress?
No. Leyland is a hybrid. True cypress in this catalog is Cupressus — Italian, Monterey, Arizona, or Kashmir.
If the tag only says cypress, read the Latin before you buy — do not guess from the common name.
FAQ
Is Tiny Tower a kind we list?
No. Tiny Tower is a shop Italian we do not list as a separate card. The species Italian column is the kind on this list.
Why does the tag say Hesperocyparis?
New World species are sometimes sold as Hesperocyparis. Arizona and Monterey here are still Cupressus. Read the species, not only the genus line.
Is Goldcrest a different species from Monterey?
No. Goldcrest is a Monterey cypress cultivar. Wilma is the dwarf of that gold group. The species tree is much wider.
Related guides
References
- [1] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/cupressus-sempervirens/ - [2] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/hesperocyparis-macrocarpa-goldcrest/ - [3] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/hesperocyparis-arizonica/ - [4] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/hesperocyparis-macrocarpa/
This note is part of Cupressus Guides.
More type comparisons by plant are gathered in Types of Plants Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors