Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Italian Cypress
Italian Cypress grows as a tall, narrow evergreen column, usually just 3 to 5 feet wide, so it adds height and privacy where a wide tree won't fit. It takes full sun and Phoenix heat as long as it gets summer water. Spider mites can brown it in hot, dry weather. Plan for its height, since it can eventually reach 40 to 60 feet or more.
Best for: privacy in a narrow space, lining entries and driveways, and hot, sunny sides of the house.
It grows tall while staying only 3 to 5 feet wide, so a row can screen a view where a wide hedge will not fit. Plant them 6 to 8 feet apart in a side yard or along a property line.
Rows along a drive or path, or a pair framing an entry, give a strong vertical accent. Space them 6 to 8 feet apart so each tree keeps its narrow shape.
It takes full sun and Phoenix summer heat. Give it deep summer water and soil that drains, and let the soil dry between soaks.
Spider mites can brown it in hot, dry weather, so hose it off about once a month in summer. Watering too often leads to root rot. It gets very tall, so keep it away from eaves, house corners and power lines.
- Privacy row6-8 ft apart, center to center
- Along a driveway or path6-8 ft apart, center to center
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 in summer by the second month. Keep up deep, regular soaks for its first 3 years.
Once rooted, it needs less water, but deep soaks in summer keep it healthy. Water 2 to 3 feet deep at the drip line and let the soil dry between soaks.
It keeps its narrow shape on its own and needs little pruning. Do not top it or cut the crown flat.
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 tall does Italian Cypress get?
It can eventually reach 40 to 60 feet or more while staying about 3 to 5 feet wide. Plant it where it has room for that full height, away from eaves and power lines.
How fast does it grow?
It grows at a moderate pace. Deep summer water keeps it growing well, but more water than it needs leads to root rot rather than faster growth.
How far apart for a privacy screen?
Plant them about 6 to 8 feet apart, center to center. The Spacing tab counts trees for your row.
How much water does it need?
Once rooted, it needs deep summer water to stay healthy in Phoenix, and very little in the cooler months. Water deeply, then wait until the soil dries before the next soak.
Why is my Italian Cypress turning brown?
The usual causes are spider mites in hot, dusty weather and watering too often. To check for mites, shake a branch over white paper and look for tiny moving specks. If the soil stays wet, water less often.
How do I keep spider mites off?
Hose the tree off in summer and after dusty winds. Washing off the dust helps the insects that eat mites do their job.
Can I cut the top off to keep it short?
It is not a good fix. Topping usually happens when it was planted in the wrong spot, like under the eaves. Plant it where it has room for its full height.
Does it take full sun and heat?
Yes, as long as it gets deep summer water in Phoenix and the soil drains well.
How cold hardy is it?
It is rated to about 0°F, so Valley winters are no problem and it needs no frost cover.
Italian Cypress for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Italian Cypress is the tall, skinny evergreen you see lining drives and walls around the Valley. It adds privacy and height in spaces only a few feet wide and takes full sun and heat with summer water. This page answers the questions people ask most.
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 tall does Italian Cypress get?
It can eventually reach 40 to 60 feet or more, while staying only 3 to 5 feet wide. It's not a tree for a small yard or tight against the house. Plan for the full height.
How far apart to plant Italian Cypress
Plant them about 6 to 8 feet apart, center to center, for a privacy row or a line along a drive. Each tree stays only 3 to 5 feet wide.
How much water does Italian Cypress need?
In Phoenix it needs regular summer water to stay healthy and full. Water deeply and let the soil dry between waterings. Soggy soil leads to root rot.
Why Italian Cypress turns brown
The common causes are spider mites in hot, dusty summers and watering too often. Check for mites before you treat, since the fixes are different.
Spider mites on Italian Cypress
Mites love hot, dry, dusty weather. Hose the foliage off about once a month in summer and after dust storms. To check, shake a branch over white paper and look for tiny moving specks.
Can you trim Italian Cypress to keep it short?
It's not a good fix. People usually end up topping it because it was planted in the wrong spot, like at the corner of the house under the eaves. Pick a spot with room for its full height.
Where to plant Italian Cypress
It is not a tree for a small plot or tight against the house. Use it to line a drive or path, frame an entry, or screen a narrow side yard where there is room for its full height.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.