Fitzroya cupressoides

Cultivation Details

Fitzroya cupressoides is found at elevations from sea level to around 1,500 metres - the mean annual rainfall in these regions varies from 2,000 - 6,000 metres, mostly falling in the winter, with snow at higher elevations^[1]. This species dislikes soils that dry out rapidly, preferring an acid soil with a pH around 4 - 5^[2]. It grows best in humid conditions, especially on north facing slopes or in the shelter of a woodland edge^[3]. It dislikes cold drying winds^[3]. In the wild, the plant usually grows on poorly drained young soils derived from volcanic ash. At low and middle elevations, the tree occurs on poorly drained sandy soils, rich in organic matter, with a low pH and a high Carbon/Nitrogen rate. At higher elevations (800- 1,200 metres) it grows on insipid soils, also derived from volcanic ash, but sandy well drained and infertile^[1]. A very ornamental tree^[4], it is much hardier in Britain than was once thought^[5]. Generally a very slow growing tree in Britain but young plants can grow 30cm a year and growth can continue until October^[6]. A very slow growing and verry long-lived tree in its native habitat^{[7, 3]}, with recorded individuals between 3,500 - 4,000 years old, but trees are unlikely to survive that long in cultivation^[3]. Plants grow best in the mild and damp maritime climate of south-west and west Britain^{[6, 3]}. Plants can be monoecious or dioecious, though they are more often dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is to be produced, though there is a report that trees rarely produce fertile seed in Britain^[3].. Throughout its range Fitzroya grows in a range of forest types. For instance in Chile, at elevations greater than 800 m it is often associated with Nothofagus betuloides, while at mid-elevations of from 500-800 m it grows with Nothofagus nitida, Pilgerodendron uviferum, Podocarpus nubigenus and Tepualia stipularis. At low elevations of between 40 and 500 m Fitzroya is uncommon and typically it grows as a large tree in the Valdivian rainforest with Amomyrtus luma, Drimys winteri, Laureliopsis philippiana, Saxegothaea conspicua and Weinmannia trichosperma (Hechenleitner et al. 2006). This is a very long-lived, slow growing tree with records of it living to more than 3,600 years old (Lara and Villalba 1993). It is dioecious species or ocasionally monoecius (Rodríguez et al. 1983). Inter-annual seed production is highly variable, with 5-7 years periods of low to no production and viability is also usually low (Donoso 1995). In the Chilean Andes most Fitzroya-dominated forests have originated following large-scale disturbance such as volcanic ash depositions, lava flows and landlslides. It can resprout from roots or low branches (Veblen and Ashton 1982).