Tree of the Week: Italian cypress

Good morning, Rocco Mediate, and good luck today.

If you watch the U.S. Open Golf Tournament later today, take special note of the beautiful trees at Torrey Pines down in La Jolla, and be thankful to live in a region where so many trees flourish, as Pieter Severynen reminds us once a week. His Tree of the Week:

The Italian cypress – Cupressus sempervirens

"The Etruscans enjoyed a thriving culture in Italy for some 500 years. They may have come from Asia Minor or the Eastern Mediterranean, whence they brought their sophisticated culture, including the tree that marked their gardens and cemeteries. Eventually the newly emerging Romans appropriated their technology, adopted some of their culture, absorbed the population, abolished the language and planted the Etruscans’ favorite tree that we now call Italian cypress in their own gardens. Human association with the Italian cypress goes back more than 3000 years and we are still impressed by the tree. Vincent van Gogh tried to capture its essence in his paintings at Arles, France.

"Few trees are so conspicuous in shape, so resolutely upright. The species has horizontal branches, but most people only know the narrow columnar form, a dense evergreen tree that grows fast, 40 to 60 feet high but only 3 to 6 feet wide. The crown is symmetrical, the medium green leaves are tiny scales, flowers are insignificant, and the small golf ball-size fruits brown in color. Small and short branches grow upright around the trunk. The tree loves full sun. It will take clay, loam, sand, acidic or alkaline soil, some ocean spray and drought. Roots are not invasive. Many cultivars are available, including a gold -colored one and a dwarf shape. The wood is fragrant and resinous. Mites and cypress canker are significant diseases.  ‘Bolgheri’ is a canker-resistant variety.  The tree can reputedly live for many centuries, but I haven’t been able to find age verification. 

"Native to the eastern Mediterranean area and western Asia, the tree needs a dry climate. Over-watering and heavy wet soil may kill it. Usually not appropriate as a hedge (too tall, too fast, out of scale; shrubs are much better) they look best in small clusters or as solitary individuals where they do not overwhelm their surroundings.

Thanks, Pieter.
Your thoughts? Comments? E-mail story tips to peter.viles@latimes.com
Photo credit: Pieter Severynen

Comments

[Milton Friedman's Worst Nightmare]

I've always loved these trees. Except when a huge blackbird sits on the very tip top and yells for hours.

[Hana]

There's a glorious specimen at the corner of Center and Almond in Orange, just across from the City Hall parking lot. It's over 100 years old and is truly magnificent.

[brettdl]

We had 15 on our 3,900-square-foot lot when we lived in Upland. 6 lined up together merged and became a sort of ecosystem of birds and other critters. The trees were so tall that my neighbors feared they would fall when the wind would blow hard. I think the new owners cut them down soon after we moved out.

[Inland Empire]

My father and his friends used to tie these down and use them as catapults. My grandfather stated they stopped doing it when one of them had a foot poking through the living room ceiling.

[Mark]

The previous owner of my home chopped down the 36 of them that ringed our property.

Im glad he did because these tree's look like fat telephone poles.

[MyLessThanPrimeBeef]

Good for Van Gogh.

I wonder why Hieronymus Bosch didn't put this tree in his 'Garden of Earthly Delights?' Does he have anything against the Trojans, sorry, Etruscans?

[Kevin]

Hi,

I have couple Italian Cypress trees got disease, what can I do to save the the other ones.
Thanks for help.

Kevin