The Size of a Mediterranean Cypress

Vertical Form

• The slender, columnar or fastigiate form of Italian cypress is sometimes called Cupressus sempervirens “Stricta” or Cupressus sempervirens var. sempervirens. “Stricta” in quotation marks means it is a cultivar. The var. means it is a naturally occurring mutation. Italian cypress trees in this form grow from 40 to 60 feet tall and from 3 to 6 feet wide. Their upward sweeping branches yield this narrow profile. Italian cypress trees with a vertical form graced many gardens during the Italian renaissance. If they enjoy a favorable climate, they may grow as high as 80 feet.

Horizontal Form

• The horizontal form that arborists call horizontalis, rarely found in cultivation or outside its native environment, may grow from 40 to 60 feet high and from 10 to 20 feet wide. The slender fastigiate form of Italian cypress did not appear until after humans spread throughout the Mediterranean.

Climate

• You can grow Italian cypress in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7B through 11. USDA zones only tell you the average range of winter low temperatures. Italian cypress grows best and therefore tallest in climates similar to its Mediterranean origins. It’s found naturally from Libya north to Switzerland, east to Iran and all areas in between. Mediterranean climates typically have wet, mild winters and hot, dry summers.

Use

• You can grow Italian cypress trees as a screen by planting them 3 feet apart. They are often used in formal landscapes or to frame tall buildings and to line boulevards and avenues. While they are too tall for small urban gardens and landscapes, they make an elegant addition to a large space.