Cypress Plants for Hillsides

Types

• Cypress trees are conifers, usually sporting evergreen foliage with needlelike leaves. However, certain varieties, such as the bald cypress, that live in river or pond environs are deciduous. These trees are not suited to hillsides due to their high water needs. Others, like the Monterey cypress, are evergreen and survive on wind-blasted, rock-strewn cliffs exposed to salt air. Most cypress trees and shrubs need well-drained soil and modest water to survive. Their extensive root systems hold soil in place, while the dense foliage resists wind.

Trees

• Hillside trees function as specimens, scattered across the hill for ornamental value, or multi-plantings, in rows as windbreaks or grouped for wildlife habitat. Native to Mexico, the Arizona cypress grows in the southwest United States but is cultivated in U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zones 7 to 9. This cypress enjoys hot weather and low water conditions, making it well-suited to exposed hillsides. The upright, pyramid-shaped tree offers varieties from grayish to blue-green foliage and enjoys popularity as a cut or living Christmas tree. Another good hillside tree is the Italian cypress, growing 3 to 10 feet wide and 40 to 60 feet tall. Planted in rows, the dense-foliage Italian cypress excels as a windbreak or privacy screen. Tolerant of heat, poor soil and drought, this variety grows up to 3 feet each year. Various cypress cultivars offer slow or fast growth, straight or pyramid shape, and vary in wind and soil tolerance. They adapt well in Zones 7 to 11.

Shrubs

• Cypress shrubs, adapting in Zones 4 to 8, serve as hillside accents, hedges or screens. Cultivars include fast-growing and slow-growing shrubs with sparse or dense foliage. Species such as Hinoki cypress, native to Japan, offer slow-growing shrub cultivars suited to adverse habitat such as rock gardens. Growing as dwarf or mounded shrubs from 1 to 3 feet in height, these plants develop naturally twisted branches with colorful seasonal foliage. Falsecypress offers slow-growing cultivars with variegated foliage from green to gold. Foliage types range from weeping or drooping needlelike foliage to upright branching. A dwarf falsecypress grows up to 3 feet in 10 years, making it a good low-profile plant.

Considerations

• Mix cypress plants with hillside ornamental grasses for a diverse, drought-tolerant landscape. Grasses such as native prairie grasses develop root systems to 17 feet deep, holding soil between the cypress and other hillside plants. The grasses tolerate wind, heavy rain and steep slopes. Scatter wildflower seed blends in spring for colorful flowers among the nonflowering cypress.