8 Types Of Native Cypress Trees In California (Pictures & Identification)
The beauty of San Francisco’s skylines is sometimes overshadowed by the state’s vibrant plants and trees, which thrive due to the state’s sunny climate.
And one of the unique trees to look out for in your next adventure is the cypress. They are a genus of 20 species, and 8 of them are native to California.
And another interesting fact is that out of these 8 native cypress trees in California, 6 of them are considered to be endangered, uncommon, or rare due to their unique growing conditions that make them uncommon outside of their native ranges.
In this article, I will be listing all those 8 trees along with their characteristics and habitat details.
So, let’s get started.
1. Arizona Cypress
- Scientific Name: Cupressus arizonica
- Common Name(s): Arizona Cypress, Cuyamaca Cypress, Piute Cypress
- Mature Height: 6-15ft
- Flowers: Cones
- Uses: Carvings, furniture, fence posts, etc.
One of the most commonly seen cypress trees in California landscape, the Arizona cypress is a thin or flat-topped evergreen tree that can grow to be between 5 and 15 feet tall.
The leaves resemble scales and have a cross-section that is 3-4 angled (0.12in). They have resinous glands in the form of pits and appear in opposing, alternating pairs.
Cones are a round, serotinous, greyish brown, and made of wood. They range in size from 10 to 35 millimeters and have tiny, wart-like projections. The outer layer of the tree’s bark peels away to reveal a smooth, cherry-red inner bark, which eventually turns brown and grey as the tree ages.
The majority of Arizona cypresses grow in the chaparrals, oak forests, and pinyon-juniper woodlands of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Mexico. It inhabits California at elevations between 2,500 and 6,000 feet (760 meters) above sea level.
In California, there are two rare subspecies of Cuyamaca Cypress present: C. a. ssp. Arizona and C. a. ssp. nevadensis, also called Piute Cypress. Cuyamaca cypress, distinguished by its warty cones, grows in and around Cuyamaca State Park in San Diego County. However, the Piute cypress, which can be found in the Sierra Nevada near the Kern River, is distinguished by its smooth-coned shape.
Even though the Arizona cypress can withstand fire, if it burns too often, it will die. Carvings, furniture, fence posts, and more may all be made from this versatile tree.
2. Monterey Cypress
- Scientific Name: Cupressus macrocarpa
- Common Name(s): Monterey Cypress
- Mature Height: 20-32ft
- Flowers: Cones
- Uses: Ornamental trees, windbreaks, timber species, etc.
The Monterey cypress is a unique kind of evergreen tree that is endemic to just two tiny pockets of California near Carmel.
Most mature trees are between 65 feet and 20 meters in height (80 ft). Large trees have thick, brown to ashy grey bark with distinctive flutes around the trunk. Green leaves with a cross-section that is triangular or quadrilateral. The 2.5 cm (1 in) to 4 cm (1.5 in) long cones are brown and woody, with a mild serotinous scent.
Whenever I go for a drive along Monterey Peninsula, I see a lot of photographers and vacationers taking pictures of the famous Monterey cypress trees that define the landscape there.
Stunted and deformed in appearance, they are yet resilient to the effects of ocean breezes, salt spray, and skeletal soils. Beyond their natural range, where they grow slowly, Monterey cypresses fare far better when cultivated.
Along the west coast of the United States, they are frequently planted for aesthetic purposes and as windbreaks.
As a result of their hardy heartwood, they are also cultivated as a timber species in the Southern Hemisphere. Because of their inability to thrive in the shadow, Monterey cypresses are often outcompeted by other species in areas with higher fertility.
3. Santa Cruz Cypress
- Scientific Name: Cupressus abramsiana
- Common Name(s): Santa Cruz Cypress
- Mature Height: 30ft
- Flowers: Cones
- Uses: Ornamental, Hedges, Windbreaks
Santa Cruz Cypresses are small evergreen trees with a symmetrical, pyramidal shape. Branches of open-grown trees can almost touch the ground, and their maximum height is 9 m. (30 ft).
The leaves have a scalelike appearance and are triangular or quadrangular in cross-section; they are pale, vivid green in color. They lack pits containing resinous glands and are placed in opposing, alternating pairs.
Santa Cruz cypress cones range in size from 16 mm to 31 mm and are woody, brown, serotinous, and spherical. It has thin, grey, fibrous bark that peels off in plates.
This is one of the very rare cypress trees in California since it is endemic to only a small area of the Santa Cruz Mountains, where it thrives on sandy, barren soils between 380 and 760 meters in altitude.
The Santa Cruz Cypress serves a variety of landscaping functions, such as an attractive tree, a windbreak, and a hedge.
4. Tecate Cypress
- Scientific Name: Cupressus forbesii
- Common Name(s): Tecate Cypress
- Mature Height: 30ft
- Flowers: Cones
- Uses: Windbreaks, hedges
The Tecate Cypress is a short evergreen with a rounded, uneven crown. It rarely exceeds a height of 9 meters, and even in dense stands, it only gets to be between 3 and 6 feet tall.
It is one of those native cypress trees in California that is considered to be a shrub as well.
Light green to dull green in hue, the leaves of the Tecate Cypress have a scalelike appearance and a cross-section with 3–4 angular sides. They also lack the obvious pits with resinous glands and are grouped in opposing, alternating pairs.
Cones from this plant are round, serotinous, and woody; they range in color from brown to grey. When the bark of a Tecate Cypress tree peels away, it shows an inner bark that is mottled and can be any shade from light green to cherry red to reddish brown.
You can find these unusual cypress trees from the Santa Ana Mountains in Orange County down to Baja California in the chaparrals of Southern California.
Its altitude tolerance ranges from below 1000 feet (300 meters) to over 8000 feet (2500 meters) (8000 feet).
Hedgerows and windbreaks made of Tecate Cypress are common in southern California’s arid interior. Although being able to survive in the event of a fire, they are nevertheless vulnerable to urbanization and other forms of development.
5. Baker Cypress
- Scientific Name: Cupressus bakeri
- Common Name(s): Baker Cypress
- Mature Height: 40-90ft
- Flowers: Cones
- Uses: Fence posts, landscaping, etc.
The Baker Cypress is a medium-sized evergreen tree that is symmetrical in its thin, pyramidal crown. Usually, its low-hanging branches almost touch the floor.
The leaves are scaly, bluish-green, and arranged in pairs with opposing sides. Cones range from 12mm to 25mm in length and are woody, serotinous, grey to silvery in color, and spherical in shape.
As the outside layer of bark peels away, the inner bark, which is crimson to cherry red, is revealed.
This species can be found from the Siskiyou Mountains to the Sierra Nevada-Cascades, where it thrives in montane coniferous woodlands and mixed forests. From 1,060 meters to 2,100 meters, that is the altitude spread.
A cone’s serotiny can be broken by fire, allowing seeds to be dispersed more easily. It is adaptable enough to be used as a fence post or as a landscape feature.
6. Gowen Cypress
- Scientific Name: Cupressus goveniana
- Common Name(s): Gowen Cypress, Pygmy Cypress
- Mature Height: Up to 46ft
- Flowers: Cones
- Uses: Building materials, boatbuilding, etc.
The Gowen Cypress is a native California evergreen that typically has a single trunk. Though it can grow as high as 46 feet in good soil, the majority of trees in the Fort Bragg area are just 1 to 2 meters tall.
The leaves are scalelike and can range in hue from a pale yellow-green to a deep green. Its cross-section has three or four angular faces.
The cones have a length between 10 and 25 millimeters with a brown to the grey coloration on the wood. The bark is fibrous and ranges from brown to grey. Both the dark green variety (C. g. ssp. governing) and the lighter yellow-green variety (C. g. ssp (C. g. ssp. pigmaea).
The populations of Gowen cypress may be found in Monterey County, and pygmy cypress can be found in Mendocino and Sonoma Counties. Both are very rare, and pygmy cypress usually lives in “pygmy forests” on white soils that have been washed away.
The Monterey Peninsula is home to several rare plant species, including the Gowen cypress, Bishop pine, and unique plants.
Several things can be made out of Gowen Cypress, including boats and building supplies. It’s also a popular choice for use in things like interior paneling and window sashes.
7. Sargent Cypress
- Scientific Name: Cupressus sargentii
- Common Name(s): Sargent Cypress
- Mature Height: 30-75ft
- Flowers: Cones
- Uses: Cabinets, Exterior siding, etc.
The Sargent cypress is a single-stemmed, small to a medium-sized evergreen tree. It has a narrow crown while young but a broad, flat crown when mature.
Sargent cypress leaves are triangular to octahedral in cross-section, and they range in color from a deep green to a bluish-grey. They come in paired configurations and measure less than 3 millimeters in total length.
The cones are 2 to 2.5 cm in length and have a woody, dark brown, serotinous, spherical shape. The bark ranges in color from brown to grey and is thick and fibrous.
From Mendocino County to Santa Barbara County, at altitudes of 200 to 1000 meters, the Sargent cypress can be found in chaparrals and coniferous woods. It grows on serpentine soils, which are typical of the interior Coast Ranges, where it is found.
Cabinets, external cladding, and other outdoor buildings benefit greatly from the use of Sargent cypress wood.
8. Mcnab Cypress
- Scientific Name: Cupressus macnabiana
- Common Name(s): McNab Cypress, Sierra Cypress
- Mature Height: 6-30ft
- Flowers: Cones
- Uses: Fence posts, Firewood, Erosion control
The McNab cypress is a small tree with a bushy and spreading crown. It has multiple stems and is frequently wider than tall.
The mature plants can grow to be as tall as 9 meters, with the tallest growing in Amador County at 16.7 meters and 124 centimeters in diameter.
The leaves are scalelike, 3- or 4-angled in cross-section, greyish green, and less than 3 millimeters in length. They have obvious pits with resinous glands and come in opposite, alternating pairs that are both fragrant and sticky.
The cones are woody, spherical, strongly serotinous, brown to gray, and range in length from 16 to 25 millimeters. The scales are peltate, with prominent pointed projections on their centers. This species’ bark is grey, fibrous, and furrowed, with ridges separated by deep, diamond-shaped furrows on older trees.
The McNab cypress tree grows in chaparrals, oak woodlands, and coniferous woodlands between 275 and 840 meters above sea level in the inner northern Coast Ranges and northern Sierra Nevada foothills. This species lives on serpentine and other dry, infertile soils, and its range overlaps with that of the Sargent cypress, where it is typically found on more exposed sites.
The McNab cypress is shade intolerant and requires fire to regenerate. It is used to make fence posts and firewood, as well as to protect watersheds from erosion and landslides.
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Sources
The Regional Gardening team makes sure that the information in our articles is accurate by only using sources that are known to be trustworthy. Some of these sources are peer-reviewed journals from government agencies, well-known universities, and scientific research organizations.
- California Forests, University Of California
- California Native Plant Society
- Native Plants, California Department Of Fish & Wildlife
- California Natural Diversity Database
