cupressus macrocarpa
Scientific Name – Cupressus macrocarpa
Monterey Cypress occurs naturally in only two groves – Cypress Point and Point Lobos on Monterey Bay on the central coast of California and is now almost extinct in the wild. It is however wildly grown in many in many parks, gardens and churchyards in Ireland and the UK while it was widely used as a hedging plant before the advent of Leyland Cypress (Cupressocyparis leylandii) of which it is a parent.
The bark of young trees is brown with shallow ridges which lift away when the bark turns grey in older specimens. It is a very fast growing tree, especially in coastal areas where it can reach a height of 30m in 40 years. Young trees are columnar with a conical top while older trees are spread with a flat top and long, level branches. In Ireland multi-stemmed trees often occur. The needles have a lemon scent when crushed.
