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Cupressus macrocarpa
Also called Monterey Cypress
Monterey cypress is a tall, wind-shaped evergreen conifer native only to a few coastal spots in central California, widely planted as a landscape tree. It is grown outdoors in cool, foggy coastal climates and is not a houseplant.
Hesperocyparis macrocarpa (syn. Cupressus macrocarpa), the Monterey cypress, is a species of coniferous tree in the cypress family, Cupressaceae. It is endemic to California.
The Monterey cypress is found naturally only on the Central Coast of California. Due to being a glacial relict, the natural distributional range of the species during modern times is confined to two small relict populations near Carmel, California, at Cypress Point in Pebble Beach and at Point Lobos. Historically, during the peak of the last ice age, the range of the Monterey cypress would have likely extended much further north and south.
Monterey cypress has been widely cultivated away from its native range, both elsewhere along the California coast, and in other areas with similar cool summer, mild winter oceanic climates. It was very early cultivated in the United Kingdom. In 1846 Karl Hartweg sent the Royal Horticultural Society seeds along with a report on his journeys in California. It is a popular private garden and public landscape tree in California. It is so widely planted in Golden Gate Park that the silhouette of the tree is sometimes printed as a symbol of the park.
When planted in areas with hot summers, for example in interior California away from the coastal fog belt, Monterey cypress has proved highly susceptible to cypress canker, caused by the fungus Seiridium cardinale, and rarely survives more than a few years. This disease is not a problem where summers are cool.
Isocupressic acid, a labdane diterpenoid, is an abortifacient component of H. macrocarpa. Monoterpenes (α- and γ-terpinene and terpinolene) are constituents of the foliage volatile oil. The oil exact composition is : α-pinene (20.2%), sabinene (12.0%), p-Cymene (7.0%) and terpinen-4-ol (29.6%). Unusual sesquiterpenes can be found in the foliage. Longiborneol (also known as juniperol or macrocarpol) can also be isolated from Monterey cypresses.
The two native cypress forest stands are protected, within Point Lobos State Natural Reserve and Del Monte Forest. The natural habitat is noted for its cool, moist summers, frequently enveloping the trees in sea fog.
Bhutan Cypress · Saharan Cypress · Hesperocyparis forbesii · Chinese Weeping Cypress · Leyland cypress · Hesperocyparis lusitanica · Mediterranean Cypress · Arizona Cypress
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Hesperocyparis macrocarpa by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
