Arizona Cypress

Cupressus arizonica is native to the mountains of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.

• In the United States: found in central and southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and the Chisos Mountains of western Texas
• In Mexico: occurs in Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, and Baja California
• Found at elevations of approximately 1,000 to 2,700 meters
• Grows in rocky canyons, on dry mountain slopes, and in scattered montane woodlands
• Often found growing along seasonal streams and in moist canyon bottoms, despite its drought tolerance
• First described by Edward Lee Greene in 1881
• The variety glabra (smooth Arizona cypress), with its distinctive smooth, exfoliating bark, is native to central Arizona and is the most commonly cultivated form
• The rarest variety, stephensonii (Cuyamaca cypress), is restricted to San Diego County, California, and is critically endangered

Cupressus arizonica is a medium-sized evergreen conifer with a conical to oval crown.

Size:
• Height: typically 10 to 20 meters, occasionally reaching 25 meters
• Trunk diameter: 0.3 to 0.8 meters
• Crown: conical when young, becoming broadly oval to rounded with age

Bark:
• Variable: in the typical form, reddish-brown to gray, furrowed and fibrous
• In var. glabra, smooth, bright reddish-brown to cherry-red, peeling in thin, papery flakes — one of the most attractive barks of any conifer

Foliage:
• Scale-like, closely appressed, blue-gray to silvery-gray or grayish-green
• Arranged in flat, feathery sprays
• Often has a frosted or glaucous appearance
• Aromatic with a distinctive, spicy-resinous scent

Cones:
• Globose, 1.5 to 2.5 cm in diameter
• Dark reddish-brown to grayish, with 6 to 10 shield-shaped scales bearing a prominent central umbo
• Mature in two years, persisting on the tree for several years
• Open in response to heat, releasing small winged seeds

Arizona cypress is an important component of montane woodlands in the arid Southwest.

Habitat:
• Found in scattered populations in montane canyons, rocky slopes, and along intermittent streams
• Occurs in pinyon-juniper woodland, interior chaparral, and Madrean pine-oak woodland communities
• Adapted to semi-arid conditions with 300 to 600 mm of annual precipitation, much of it as summer monsoons
• Often grows in association with ponderosa pine, pinyon pine, juniper, and oak species

Ecosystem role:
• Provides important wildlife habitat in otherwise arid environments
• Seeds are consumed by birds and small mammals
• Dense canopy offers nesting sites and thermal cover for wildlife
• Riparian populations help stabilize streambanks and reduce erosion

Fire ecology:
• Adapted to periodic fire through semi-serotinous cones that open after exposure to heat
• Thick bark provides moderate fire resistance

An excellent choice for dry, hot climates where few other conifers thrive.

• Hardiness zones: USDA 6 to 9
• Highly drought-tolerant once established — one of the best conifers for arid landscapes
• Requires full sun and excellent drainage
• Tolerates rocky, alkaline, and poor soils
• Requires minimal irrigation after establishment
• Moderate growth rate — 30 to 60 cm per year
• Excellent choice for windbreaks, screens, and specimen plantings in the Southwest
• The smooth-barked variety glabra is especially popular as an ornamental
• Relatively pest-free when grown in appropriate dry climates

Arizona cypress is valued primarily as an ornamental and for windbreaks in arid regions.

Ornamental:
• Prized for its striking blue-gray to silvery foliage, attractive bark (especially var. glabra), and conical form
• Widely planted in xeriscapes, Mediterranean gardens, and dry southwestern landscapes
• Used as a specimen, screen, windbreak, and Christmas tree in suitable climates

Windbreaks:
• Extensively planted as a windbreak species in arid agricultural regions of the Southwest and Australia
• Dense foliage and fast growth make it effective at reducing wind erosion

Christmas trees:
• Increasingly popular as a living Christmas tree in the southwestern United States
• The blue-gray foliage, conical shape, and spicy scent make it an attractive alternative to traditional species