Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Arizona Cypress
Arizona Cypress is a native evergreen conifer with blue-green to silver foliage and rough, reddish-brown bark. It grows upright into a tall, dense tree, which makes it a classic screen and windbreak. It handles cold far below anything the Valley sees. Once rooted, it wants only deep, infrequent summer soaks.
Best for: tall evergreen screens and windbreaks, blue-green year-round color, and large native landscapes.
Its dense, upright form blocks views all year. For a windbreak row, plant trees about 6 feet apart. For a looser screen of full-size trees, space them 20 feet or more apart.
The foliage ranges from blue-green to silver and contrasts with rough, reddish-brown bark. It keeps that color through every season.
It grows wild in the mountains of central Arizona and the Southwest. It fits large native plantings, parks and big yards that want a tall evergreen.
It can struggle in the Valley's hottest stretches, above about 110°F. Soggy soil or a high water table can cause root problems, so plant it where water drains.
- Windbreak row6 ft apart
- Full-size trees in a screen20 ft or more apart
For the first two weeks, water a new tree every 1 to 2 days in summer, or every 3 to 4 days in cooler months. Ease to about weekly by the second month, and keep up deep, regular soaks for its first 3 years. Once rooted, soak it 2 to 3 feet deep at the canopy edge about every 2 to 3 weeks in summer and about monthly in winter. It needs very little water after 2 to 3 years.
Take off the nursery stake at planting, and stake only if the tree cannot stand on its own or sits in a windy spot. Use two stakes outside the root ball and soft, wide ties that let the trunk sway. Remove them after about a year.
It needs very little pruning beyond shaping. Never take more than a quarter of the canopy in a year, and do not strip the inside branches bare.
It can struggle in the hottest stretches above about 110°F. Deep, infrequent summer soaks keep it going, while soggy soil can cause root problems.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
How big does Arizona cypress get?
It usually grows 40 to 50 feet tall and 15 to 30 feet wide. Plant it where it has room to grow tall.
Is Arizona cypress native to Arizona?
Yes. It grows wild in the lower mountains of central Arizona, the Southwest and northern Mexico, so it fits a native planting.
How far apart should I plant it for a windbreak?
Plant it about 6 feet apart in a row for a windbreak. For a screen of full-size trees, space them 20 feet or more apart.
How much water does it need?
Water regularly for the first two or three years. After that, give it deep, infrequent soaks in summer and very little in winter.
How cold hardy is it?
It is hardy to about 0°F, so cold is never a problem in the Valley.
Does it handle Phoenix heat?
It handles heat, but it can struggle in the hottest stretches above about 110°F. Deep summer soaks help it through.
Does it need pruning?
It needs very little pruning beyond shaping. Let it keep its natural upright form.
What soil does it need?
It needs soil that drains well. Avoid spots where water stands or the water table is high.
Arizona Cypress for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Arizona Cypress is a tough native evergreen used for screens and windbreaks across the state. Below: size, spacing for a screen, water, cold, heat and what to know about growing it in the low desert.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
How big does Arizona cypress get?
It grows about 40 to 50 feet tall and 15 to 30 feet wide, with an upright, dense form.
Arizona cypress for a windbreak
Plant trees about 6 feet apart in a row for a windbreak. It is a favorite windbreak tree across the state.
Is Arizona cypress a native tree?
Yes. It grows wild in the lower mountains of central Arizona and the Southwest.
Watering Arizona cypress
Water regularly the first two or three years, then give deep, infrequent soaks in summer.
Can Arizona cypress take Phoenix heat?
It can, with deep summer soaks, though it may struggle in stretches above about 110°F.
Arizona cypress cold hardiness
It is hardy to about 0°F, far below any Valley winter.
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