Arizona Cypress
Hesperocyparis arizonica
Family: Cupressaceae
OTHER NAMES
Spanish: sabino, cedro, ciprés, táscate
CHARACTERISTICS
Evergreen large shrub or tree, 40x20’. Monoecious conifer that has separate male and female reproductive cones on the same plant. Seed cones mature in autumn of the second season, but persist on the tree for many years.
A similar species, smooth Arizona cypress (Hesperocyparis glabra), looks very similar but has a very different chemistry—to tell the difference, the best test is to smell the foliage: Hesperocyparis arizonica has a stinky, skunky smell while H. glabra is more citrusy or piney smell. It also sheds its outer bark to reveal a smooth, often mottled trunk.
LANDSCAPE USE
Screening shrubs, large shade tree, windbreak.
Photo by lainie88, iNaturalist
Hesperocyparis arizonica on SEINET
Hesperocyparis glabra on iNaturalist
Hesperocyparis glabra on SEINET
GROWING CONDITIONS
AN EXPLANAITION OF TERMS USED
SUN full to part sun
WATER moderate to regular water
SOIL not picky, but well-drained
HARDINESS hardy to about -10°F
BASIN mid zone
CONTAINER does moderately well in containers but will not attain full size
NUTRITION low
MAINTENANCE very little
ECOLOGY
Larval food plant for the Juniper Hairstreak (Callophrys gryneus). Birds consume fruits. Great nesting tree for birds. Insectivorous canopy-gleaning birds love this tree.
ETHNOBOTANY
Used locally for rough construction and fencepost. Often planted at ranches and farms for windbreaks and shelterbelts. Used medicinally for colds, coughs, for sore chests, kidney problems, and backaches.
NATURAL DISTRIBUTION
Found in canyon bottoms and on mountain slopes from 3,000-7,500 ft. heavily represented in the southwestern United States and Mexico, but also scattered throughout the southern states of the United States.
TAXONOMY AND NAME
This plant is in the Cupressaceae, the cypress family. There are about 20 species of Hesperocyparis found throughout western North America..
Formerly known as Cupressus arizonica (new world cypresses were separated from old world cypresses).
Hesperocyparis is greek for “western cypress” and arizonica refers to where the plant is found.
Cones of Arizona cypress, photo by Joey Santore, iNaturalist
Plants vary from greenish to bright blue foliage. Photo by David Mercado-Morales, iNaturalist
This plant has very bright blue foliage. Photo by Susette, iNaturalist
Trunk of Arizona Cypress, photo by Tim Guida, iNaturalist
The trunk of Smooth Arizona Cypress (Hesperocyparis glabra) which sheds its outer bark to reveal its smooth inner trunk which can be mottled and/or various shades of reds, browns, whites, tans, etc. Photo by ctmurph01, iNaturalist