Cupressus montana (san pedro martir cypress)

Other Names:  Blue Column Cypress

Endangered.

Mexico: Baja California Norte: the Sierra San Pedro Martír

Description:

A very narrowly columnar and upright accent tree, foliage is wonderfully fine and blue-green; use as a solitary accent in the yard or a large garden, very hard to miss all season long

Ornamental Features

San Pedro Martir Cypress has attractive bluish-green foliage. The threadlike leaves are highly ornamental and remain bluish-green throughout the winter. Neither the flowers nor the fruit are ornamentally significant. The peeling indian red bark is extremely showy and adds significant winter interest.

Landscape Attributes

San Pedro Martir Cypress is an open evergreen tree with a strong central leader and a narrowly upright and columnar growth habit. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which can make it a great accent feature on this basis alone.

This is a relatively low maintenance tree, and should not require much pruning, except when necessary, such as to remove dieback. It has no significant negative characteristics.

San Pedro Martir Cypress is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Vertical Accent
• Hedges/Screening
• Windbreaks and Shelterbelts

Planting & Growing

San Pedro Martir Cypress will grow to be about 35 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 10 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and should not be planted underneath power lines. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 60 years or more.

This tree should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for xeriscaping or the moisture-conserving landscape. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in sandy soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selection of a native North American species.