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Family: Cupressaceae
Native to: central coast of California
Dimensions: large tree to 60' - 80' tall, eventually with equal spread
Cold resistance: hardy to 5°F when mature
Drought resistance: pretty good, but not for desert
Key Features: evergreen tree with fast growth, assumes picturesque form when mature, easy care once established
Uses: coastal plantings, large-scale windbreak or screening, can be sheared as hedge, more appealing substitute for leyland cypress
Description:
Don't plant a leyland cypress, the scourge of the Pacific Northwest - plant this instead! I bet you'd love to quickly block the view of that new housing development going up across the street. This tree is the much better-looking parent of leyland cypress, and will assume a rugged growth habit and picturesque form with age. This is especially so in situations of regular exposure to coastal winds, which it tolerates in stride. It prefers full sun and is reasonably drought tolerant. From reading editions of Sunset's Western Garden Book, one might think this tree is able to thrive only in a narrow zone right on the California coast, and can be expected to have disease problems and die outside of this area. However, mature trees scattered around the Pacific Northwest are evidence that it does fine here, even away from salt water to a point. The only drawback is its cold and heat tolerance is not adequate for use in very cold frost pockets, or east of the Cascades (although a large and healthy specimen in Ashland, Oregon indicates some adaptability). In the January 2024 freeze in Sequim, trees in a colder garden endured a low of 3°F with some damage to the new growth tips, but quickly grew out of it.
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