Hesperocyparis arizonica
An evergreen conifer native to the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico, drought- and heat-tolerant with blue-green scale-like foliage, typically 40–60 ft tall and 15–20 ft wide, often used as windbreaks or screens, with serotinous cones that open after fire.
Common Names
Arizona Cypress, Cedro Blanco, Cedro, Cedro De La Sierra, Ciprés, Pinobete, Rough-bark Cypress, Rough-bark Arizona Cypress, Smooth-bark Cypress
Summary
Arizona cypress is an evergreen conifer native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, typically 40–60 ft tall and 15–20 ft wide, with a dense conical to pyramidal crown and gray-green to blue-green, scale-like foliage that has a resinous aroma when bruised; bark exfoliates and peels to reveal gray and reddish-brown patches.
Growing conditions include full sun and well-drained soil, drought tolerance once established, and low maintenance; propagation is by seed or cuttings, with seeds requiring cold stratification for improved germination; common landscape uses are windbreaks and privacy screens, ornamentals, wildlife habitat, and Christmas trees; not invasive and generally pest- and disease-resistant, with occasional bagworms, spider mites, cypress bark beetle, and canker.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
40-60 ft
Spread
15-20 ft
Hardiness Zones
Zones 7-11
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally Full Sun; tolerates Partial Sun or Partial Shade.
Soil Type
Well-drained soil, often sandy or rocky, with neutral to slightly alkaline pH.
Soil Drainage
Dry, well-drained soils, not tolerant of poorly drained soils or a high water table
Soil pH
Tolerates all pH levels
Bloom Color
Insignificant
Bloom Time
Spring
Foliage Color
Gray-green to blue-green
Fall Foliage Color
No fall color
Leaf Lifecycle
Evergreen needle
Growth Rate
1–3 ft per year
Seasons of Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall
Propagation Methods
Seeds and Cuttings
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts birds
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- (Greene) Bartel
- Publication
- Phytologia 91: 180. (2009)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Pinophyta
- Class
- Pinopsida
- Subclass
- Cupressidae
- Order
- Cupressales
- Family
- Cupressaceae
- Genus
- Hesperocyparis
Synonyms
Cupressus arizonica Cupressus arizonica f. glomerata Cupressus arizonica f. minor Cupressus benthamii var. arizonica Neocupressus arizonica Cupressus arizonica var. compacta Cupressus arizonica f. glauca Cupressus arizonica f. compacta Cupressus arizonica var. arizonica Cupressus arizonica f. typica Callitropsis arizonica Cupressus arizonica var. bonita Cupressus lusitanica subsp. arizonica