How Long to Grow a Seedling Cypress Tree to Maturity?

Growth

• The Leyland cypress has a dense and broadly pyramidal shape, with flattened sprays of grayish-green, feathery foliage on slightly pendulous branches. It reaches a full height of 70 feet or more, with a width of about 25 feet. This fast-growing tree adds about 3 feet to its height each year and reaches its mature size in about 20 or 25 years. The Arizona cypress (Cupressus arizonica) is another type of widely cultivated cypress with an upright, pyramidal shape. It's slightly less hardy than the Leyland type, growing in USDA zones 7 through 9, and is smaller and slightly slower-growing, becoming 30 to 40 feet tall in about 15 years.

Site Selection

• Cypress trees grow best in a spot that gets full sun for most of the day. They do tolerate partial shade but put out less foliage under these conditions and may look a bit thin and ragged when grown in too much shade. In areas with hot summer sun, an ideal spot gets full sun for the entire morning, followed by light afternoon shade. When planting a cypress tree, choose a site with plenty of space where the growing tree won't encroach on other trees or plantings and a location that gets good air circulation to help prevent fungal disorders that can develop in stale, moist air.

Planting

• The best time to plant a seedling cypress tree is early spring, when soil is still cool, to give the roots time to become established before top growth begins. If you're planting several trees to develop a screen planting, space trees 8 to 10 feet apart to allow each tree room to grow without crowding. Cypress trees have brittle roots, so spread the roots out gently in all directions, placing each tree at a depth equal to its depth in the nursery pot. If your tree has a root ball wrapped in burlap or other material, remove the material before planting or, if it's a natural cloth that degrades, make cuts in the wrapping and fold the top one-third of the wrap back when you plant the tree.

Requirements

• A cypress tree tolerates any type of garden soil but grows best in moderately fertile, well-drained loam that gets even moisture. You can raise your soil's fertility by adding some compost and improve its drainage if it contains clay by mixing coarse sand into your planting site. The tree has good drought tolerance once established but benefits from regular watering during its first few years; 1 inch of water per week is an ideal amount. A cypress tree develops a naturally pleasing shape if left unpruned, but you can cut the tree back to control its size or shape. This is best done during winter or in early spring, before the tree begins to show new growth.