Cupressus sargentii

Identification

Gallery

Description

In the wild Sargent Cypress is a small gray evergreen tree, with gray bark. In most gardens Sargent Cypress will grow real fast to 10 feet, then slowly (1'/year) to 50'. C. sargentii is easy to hold to 12', has high tolerance to serpentine, and is very drought tolerant. This cypress prefers sun, good drainage, and regular water for the first year only, in its range. C. sargentii is good as a specimen tree, and should be used more often. We had no cold damage at 0 degrees F., and I would guess it is hardy to -15 F. In our county it can become a 70 foot tree that looks like a cross between Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and Deodar Cedar. That is in a 40+" annual rainfall area. In a 20" annual rainfall area, pure serpentine area they grow into a twisted stand 12' tall, looking like old Arizona Cypresses. The only other shrubs on the bad site were Dendromecon rigida and a few Arctostaphylos obispoensis.The photo was taken by Francis Whiting in 1970 on Cuesta Grade. Syn. Hesperocyparis sargentii , Neocupressus sargentii and Callitropsis sargentii