Cupressus arizonica
Common: Arizona cypress
Family: Cupressaceae
Origin: Native to central Arizona, southwest Texas, northern Mexico
Sunset Zones: 5, 8-24
Light: Full to reflected sun
Soil: Tolerant of many soils. Prefers light, dry soils.
Water: Little to none once established.
Useful as quick windbreak. Used for fence posts, fuel wood, Christmas trees and greens. Dense bold form.
Conical tree 35 to 40 feet tall, spreading to 20 ft. Slow growth rate.
Hardy in Arizona. Colors range from silvery to dark or gray-green. Scaly foliage reaches to ground, trunks covered with dark fissured or checkered bark. Tolerant of heat and cold.
Somewhat short-lived, lasting only 30 years or so, possibly because older trees are subject to bark beetles and other stresses.
Sometimes slow to get started. Problem with red spider mites or aphids. Once established, plants can be almost neglected.