Cupressus sempervirens seed
LATIN NAME: Cupressus sempervirens
COMMON NAME: Mediterranean Cypress, Italian Cypress, Pencil Pine
The Mediterranean cypress is one of the most iconic of the trees of the Mediterranean, and its tall, dark, columnar form has marked the landscapes, the gardens and the cemeteries of the region since antiquity. It grows as an evergreen conifer of the cypress family, reaching up to thirty metres, with a tall, narrow, columnar or conical crown of the small, scale-like, dark-green foliage and the small, round, brown cones, while some forms are broader and more spreading, and the fine, durable, fragrant wood has been valued for a very long time. It is a species of the cypress, native to the eastern Mediterranean region and the Iran, and it is widespread throughout the Mediterranean basin and has become endemic in the similar dry summer climates due to its ability to survive in both the acidic and the alkaline soils and to withstand the drought, while it is one of the most iconic of the trees of the Mediterranean.
The Mediterranean cypress belongs to the cypress family, Cupressaceae, and it is a species of the cypress, native to the eastern Mediterranean region and the Iran. It is widespread throughout the Mediterranean basin and has become endemic in the similar dry summer climates due to its ability to survive in both the acidic and the alkaline soils and to withstand the drought, while it is prized for its tall, dark, columnar form.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The Mediterranean cypress has a genuine and distinguished place in both forestry and cultural research. It has been studied in the forestry and the horticulture, since it is one of the most iconic of the trees of the Mediterranean, prized for its tall, dark, columnar form, and researchers have examined its growth, its cultivation and its value in the landscape, while its ability to survive in both the acidic and the alkaline soils and to withstand the drought has made it a valued tree of the dry, warm regions, and the columnar forms of the cypress have drawn attention in the international gardening and landscaping press as an iconic tree of the Mediterranean. The tree has also been studied in the wood science, since its fine, durable, fragrant wood has been valued for a very long time, and researchers have examined the properties of the wood and its uses, while the cypress wood has been used for the buildings, the furniture and the chests of the region for thousands of years, and the value of the cypress timber has drawn attention in the international heritage and wood press. The species has also been studied in the ecology and the conservation, since it is a native of the Mediterranean and has been planted widely, and its growth, its role in the landscape and its management have been examined. For a tree of such icon and such history, the Mediterranean cypress has a rich and distinguished record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the Mediterranean cypress is an iconic tree of the dry Mediterranean. Its dark, scale-like foliage gives shelter and nesting to the birds, and its small cones feed the small animals, while it is a historic presence in the landscapes and the hills of the Mediterranean basin.
Its economic value is real and historic. The fine, durable, fragrant wood has been valued for the buildings, the furniture and the chests of the region for thousands of years, and its value has drawn attention in the international heritage and wood press, while the tree is also one of the most iconic of the Mediterranean, prized for its tall, dark, columnar form. For a grower, the Mediterranean cypress is a rewarding and noble tree, and for a gardener in a dry, warm region it brings a tall, dark, columnar presence. The seeds are easy to start — let them rest cool and damp for a while, then sow them in a pot of moist, gritty, free-draining compost in a sunny spot, keep them lightly watered, and they’ll be sprouting steadily, growing on into a tall, dark, columnar tree.
Cupressus Sempervirens or Italian Cypress
Common name:Italian Cypress
Italian cypress is a narrow, columnar evergreen tree native to western Asia and southern Europe. Its dark green to blue-green soft-scaled needles are short and wispy, and help hide the small oval tan cones.
Grow Italian cypress in full sun in average to dry soil with good drainage. Although it grows in several warm temperate climates, it will be troublesome to maintain in regions with high humidity, copious summer rains or cool summer temperatures. Best used as a screen or feature plant lining a boulevard or long walkway in front of a classic-architecture building, or framing a view or piece of sculpture.
