Cypresses & Allies
What are they?
The cypress trees are generally distinguished by their foliage, which consists of a series of scale-like leaves, arranged in opposite pairs and completely overlapping the stem. This creates clusters of forked vegetation that somewhat resembles the growth style of clubmosses. In some species, the scale-like leaves broaden out to form fanned sprays, while in others, the scale-leaves are tight and create thread-like branchlets. Note that some junipers have scale-like leaves closely resembling those of cypresses, so they are included here for comparison.
Where are they found?
Most species are popular as ornamentals and are commonly found in churchyards, cemeteries and municipal open spaces. A few species are widespread in forestry plantations, shelterbelts and managed woodlands.
Identification
Details of the shape of the scale-like leaves and the presence or otherwise of white undersides to them is important. Cones can be very important, too and usually hang on the tree for much of the year, so can usually be found. All species are evergreen. Junipers with scale-like leaves differ from cypresses by their berry-like fruits.
Leyland Cypress X Hesperotropsis leylandii
A hybrid that originated in cultivation as a chance seedling between Monterey and Nootka Cypress. The cross has been made deliberately many times since, producing a range of slightly different, named forms. Widespread and common in churchyards, parks, shelterbelts and woodland. Foliage variously upright to slightly pendulous, with leaves in flattened sprays. Leaves slightly glossy, green or blue-green with narrow white lines on the undersides; slightly tighter and a little less spreading than those of Lawson's Cypress. Female cones globular, in clusters that hang from the branches. Mature cones 15-20mm, splitting open from the centre, the scales with thickened tips. Bark dull reddish-brown, peeling off in broader fibres. Foliage has a hint of lemon smell to it.
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Western Red-cedar Thuja plicata
(Arborvitae) Introduced from western North America. Widespread and common in churchyards, parks, shelterbelts and forestry plantations and readily self-seeds. Foliage typically rather pendulous, with leaves in flattened sprays; tip of tree stiffly upright. Leaves glossy, rich green with broad white patches on the undersides. Female cones cylindrical, with 8-10 scales, 4-6 of which are fertile (seed-bearing); in clusters that stand upright on the branches. Mature cones split open from the base in a rosette of flattened scales. Bark orange-brown, peeling off in narrow, stringy fibres. Foliage has a rich and fruity smell to it.
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Northern White-cedar Thuja occidentalis
Introduced from eastern North America. Widespread and common in churchyards and parks, most often as an ornamental and only rarely as a forestry tree. Leaves dull, not glossy, without broad white patches on the undersides. Female cones cylindrical, with 8-10 scales, four of which are fertile (seed-bearing); carried in clusters that stand upright on the branches. Bark pale grey-brown, peeling off in narrow, stringy fibres. Foliage has an apple-like smell to it.
As an amenity plant, this species is far more common in a range of ornamental cultivars, such as the rich green, columnar 'Smaragd' and the bronze-orange 'Rheingold'.
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Lawson's Cypress Chamaecyparis lawsoniana
Introduced from western North America. Widespread and common in churchyards, parks, shelterbelts and forestry plantations and readily self-seeds. Foliage variously upright or pendulous, with leaves in flattened sprays; tip of tree weeping. Leaves slightly glossy, green or blue-green with narrow white lines on the undersides. Female cones globular, in clusters that hang from the branches. Mature cones 7-9mm, splitting open from the centre, the scales with thickened tips. Bark purple-brown, peeling off in broader fibres. Foliage has a somewhat pungent smell to it. The male flowers are bright red and can be very showy early in the year. There are many cultivated varieties of this tree, including golden-leaved forms.
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Ellwood's Cypress Chamaecyparis lawsoniana cultivar 'Ellwoodii'
Introduced from western North America. Widespread and common in churchyards, parks and other municipal areas. There are many cultivated varieties of Lawson's Cypress and this is just one of the commoner and more distinctive ones. Plants form narrow, upright columns of very dense foliage. The foliage is blue-green and more prickly-tipped than typical Lawson's Cypress leaves and held tightly upright.
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Nootka Cypress Callitropsis nootkatensis
(Xanthocyparis nootkatensis) Introduced from western North America. Planted in churchyards and parks and perhaps widespread but under-recorded. Very similar in overall appearance to Lawson's Cypress, especially some of the more pendulous varieties of the latter, but scale-leaves more sharply pointed and fruits with stouter spines on them.
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Sawara Cypress Chamaecyparis pisifera
Introduced from Japan. Widespread and frequent in churchyards, parks and similar municipal areas. Foliage on the typical species is rather stiff and spiky compared with other cypresses, with leaves in flattened sprays. Leaves slightly glossy, green with narrow white lines on the undersides. Female cones globular, smaller than those of Lawson's Cypress (5-6mm) in small clusters that hang from the branches. Mature cones split open from the centre and the scales have thickened tips. Bark orange-brown, peeling off in broader fibres. There are many cultivated forms of this tree, including golden, blue and filiform varieties, many of which bear little resemblance to the original parent tree.
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Chinese Thuja Platycladus orientalis
Introduced from Eastern Asia. Frequent in churchyards and parks as an ornamental. Branches are held very distinctively upright in flattened sprays. Leaves light green on both sides, sometimes with a little whitish resin attached but without obvious white undersides. Female cones cylindrical, standing upright on the branches and with recurved tips to the scales when young. Mature cones split open from the base in a rosette of flattened scales. Bark light brown, peeling off in narrow, stringy fibres. Foliage is more or less scentless.
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Monterey Cypress Hesperocyparis macrocarpa
Introduced from western North America. Widespread in churchyards, parks, and occasionally in shelterbelts and hedges, especially near the coast due to its salt tolerance. A variable tree tat may be single-trunked or multi-stemmed. Foliage dense and dark, with leaves not flattened but producing spreading, three-dimensional sprays. Female cones cylindrical, dark brown, 20-35mm, in clusters held close to the branches. Bark light grey-brown.
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Italian Cypress Cupressus sempervirens
Introduced from southern Europe. Rare in our region and not fully hardy in the UK. Foliage and cones very similar to Monterey Cypress. There are two growth forms, the most usual in cultivation being the narrow and strictly upright form.
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Pfitzer Juniper Juniperus x pfitzeriana
Introduced from eastern Asia and represented by a wide variety of forms that were selected and propagated in cultivation. Though not officially recorded from East Anglia by botanists, cultivated varieties in this group are very common in amenity landscape plantings throughout the region, especially around parks, larger commercial buildings and car parks. It has only recently been confirmed through DNA research that Pfitzer Junipers are hybrids between Juniperus chinensis and J. sabina, so older publications tend to list them as cultivated forms of J. chinensis (or sometimes under the name Juniperus x media).
Because of the confusion caused by earlier misidentifications between Pfitzer and Chinese Junipers, there seems to be no, readily available, reference that serves to help tell these two apart. In general, Pfitzer Juniper is likely to be a relatively low, broadly spreading plant with branches spreading out at less than 45 degrees to the vertical, though some may eventually reach 2.5-3m in height. Adult leaves dull grey-green, bright green or yellow-green, according to variety, scale-like and densely overlapping. Juvenile leaves longer, prickle-tipped and typically blue-grey in colour, appearing in opposite pairs. Male and female flowers carried on separate plants. Fruit on female plants a typical, blue-grey, juniper berry.
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Chinese Juniper Juniperus chinensis
Introduced from eastern Asia and most often represented in cultivation by a variety of ornamental forms. Though recorded in the past for Suffolk and Cambridegshire, it is not clear whether this species occurs in our region, due to the identification complications detailed under Pfitzer Juniper and, even now, there seems to be no, readily available, reference that serves to help tell Chinese and Pfitzer Junipers apart. In general, Chinese Juniper is likely to be a narrower, more upright plant, eventually forming a small tree. Foliage carried on ascending, spreading branches, with leaves in three-dimensional sprays. Adult leaves dull grey-green or blue-green (occasionally golden), scale-like and densely overlapping. Juvenile leaves longer, prickle-tipped and typically bright, blue-grey in colour, appearing in opposite pairs. Male and female flowers carried on separate plants. Fruit on female plants a typical, blue-grey, juniper berry.
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Californian Incense-cedar Calocedrus decurrens
Introduced from western North America. Rare in churchyards, parks and municipal open spaces. A columnar tree with glossy, richly emerald-green foliage. Scale-like leaves tightly packed into narrow strands, grouped into flat, fan-like sprays. Female cones cylindrical, 10-20mm, in pendulous clusters.
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Hiba Thujopsis dolabrata
Introduced from Japan. Rare as an ornamental in churchyards, parks and municipal open spaces. A small, columnar tree with highly glossy, richly emerald-green foliage. Broad, spreading, scale-like leaves have large and showing white patches on their undersides. Female cones 8-15mm, borne singly at the branch tips.
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Giant Sequoia Sequoiadendron giganteum
Introduced from western North America. Widespread in parks and private estates. Eventually an enormous tree, to 50m in height (much more in its native habitat). Foliage in spreading sprays. Scale-like leaves dark green with long-pointed tips. Female cones much larger than others in this group, 45-80mm long. Bark orange-brown, densely fibrous and soft to the touch.
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