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Cupressaceae FAMILY Vulnerable

Hesperocyparis macrocarpa

Hesperocyparis macrocarpa

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Tree
GrowthFast

Monterey cypress is a plant of a Mediterranean type of climate, with wet winters andf dry summers cooled by frequent fogs and within reach of ocean salt sprays. It has been cultivated successfully in the subtropics and at higher elevations in the tropics, where it can be grown at elevations up to 3,500 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 20 - 32°c, but can tolerate 6 - 36°c[1]. When dormant, the plant can survive temperatures down to about -14°c, but young growth can be severely damaged at -1°c[1]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 900 - 1,400mm, but tolerates 700 - 1,600mm[1]. Requires a sunny position[2]. Thrives in a well-drained loamy or peaty soil[3]. Very tolerant of hot dry conditions[2]. Tolerates poor sandy soils[2] but is then more subject to insect damage in a succession of dry seasons[3]. Plants are not happy when growing on chalk, but they thrive on limestone[4]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 7, tolerating 4.5 - 8.5[1]. Very tolerant of maritime exposure[3, 5, 6] but plants are not very wind firm in shallow soils[7]. Young trees require staking when planted in very exposed positions[5]. The tree is often cultivated as an ornamental, shelter plant and timber crop. It has escaped from cultivation in many areas and has become established in the wild. It is classified as 'Invasive' in some Pacific Islands, New Zealand and Australia[8]. New growth takes place from May to September and can be very vigorous when young with new shoots 1 metre long and increases in girth of 5cm or more a year even in old trees[9]. Trees in a very exposed maritime position at Rosewarne in N. Cornwall were 12 metres tall after 30 years[5]. Resents root disturbance, it is best planted out when the roots are in active growth in early autumn or spring[2]. The cones ripen in their second year[6]. They can remain closed on the tree for a number of years, opening after the heat of a forest fire to scatter their seeds which then germinate and grow quickly in the ashes of the fire[4]. The crushed leaves have a strong scent of lemon verbena[9]. Trees are notably susceptible to honey fungus[4].

Propagation

Seed - sow late winter in a cold frame and only just cover the seed[10]. Three weeks cold stratification can improve germination rates[10]. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 2 months at 20°c. The seedlings are very subject to damping off so should be watered with care and kept well-ventilated[11]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. The seed can store for several years[11]. Cuttings of almost ripe wood, September in a frost-proof frame[12]. mid spring is the best time to take cuttings[11]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Hesperocyparis+macrocarpa>

Pollinators

Wind

References

  1. [1]Ecocrop — http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home ↩︎Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
  2. [2]Conifers. — Rushforth. K. · Christopher Helm · 1987 · ISBN 0-7470-2801-X ↩︎Deals with conifers that can be grown outdoors in Britain. Good notes on cultivation and a few bits about plant uses.
  3. [3]Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. — Bean. W. · Murray · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
  4. [4]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  5. [5]Shelter Trees and Hedges. — Rosewarne experimental horticultural station. · Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food · 1984 · ISBN - ↩︎A small booklet packed with information on trees and shrubs for hedging and shelterbelts in exposed maritime areas.
  6. [6]Manual of the Trees of N. America. — Sargent. C. S. · Dover Publications Inc. New York. · 1965 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ · ISBN 0-486-20278-X ↩︎Two volumes, a comprehensive listing of N. American trees though a bit out of date now. Good details on habitats, some details on plant uses. Not really for the casual reader. It can be downloaded from the internet.
  7. [7]The Milder Garden. — Taylor. J. · Dent · 1990 ↩︎A good book on plants that you didn't know could be grown outdoors in Britain.
  8. [8]Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk — http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html ↩︎A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
  9. [9]Conifers in the British Isles. — Mitchell. A. F. · HMSO · 1975 · ISBN 0-11-710012-9 ↩︎A bit out of date (first published in 1972), but an excellent guide to how well the various species of conifers grow in Britain giving locations of trees.
  10. [10]Growing from Seed. Volume 4. — Bird. R. (Editor) · Thompson and Morgan. · 1990 · ISBN - ↩︎Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. A good article on Yuccas, one on Sagebrush (Artemesia spp) and another on Chaerophyllum bulbosum.
  11. [11]The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. — Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. · Athens Ga. Varsity Press · 1987 · ISBN 0942375009 ↩︎A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.
  12. [12]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  13. [13]Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. — http://www.prota.org ↩︎An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
  14. [14]A Handbook of the World's Conifers Vol. 1 (Second revised edition) — Farjon A. · Brill; Leiden, The Netherlands · 2017 · ISBN 978 90 04 32449 7 ↩︎
  15. [15]Flora Europaea — ? · Cambridge University Press · 1964 · ISBN - ↩︎An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for Europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.
  16. [16]IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — http://www.iucnredlist.org/ ↩︎A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
  17. [17]Native American Ethnobotany — Moerman. D. · Timber Press. Oregon. · 1998 · ISBN 0-88192-453-9 ↩︎Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
  18. [18]A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. — Usher. G. · Constable · 1974 · ISBN 0094579202 ↩︎Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.