Mediterranean Cypress

The Mediterranean cypress (Cupressus sempervirens 'Glauca') is the narrow blue grey column that lines Tuscan driveways, and it does the same job here without asking much in return. In an Australian garden it reaches around 10m tall while holding to about 2m wide, so it gives height where a spreading tree would never fit. The form is naturally tight, so most gardeners never pick up the shears.

Why you'll love it

• Height in almost no width. Roughly 10m tall on a 2m footprint, which suits a boundary, a driveway edge or the narrow gap beside a garage.
• Blue grey rather than plain green. The 'Glauca' selection carries a soft steel tone that reads as deliberate against rendered walls, sandstone and gravel.
• It holds its own shape. Naturally columnar, so a formal look comes without regular clipping.
• Hard to kill once established. Frost hardy, drought tolerant, heat tolerant, wind tolerant and content in poor soil.

Where it works best

Driveways and avenues. Plant 1.5m apart for a formal run, or space them 3m to 4m apart if you want distinct columns marking a drive rather than a continuous wall.

Screening in tight spaces. A row at 1.5m spacing makes a high narrow screen that steals almost no garden bed.

Feature and formal planting. A matched pair either side of an entry, or a group of three, sets a formal tone immediately.

Growing Mediterranean cypress in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, the more the better. This tree belongs in warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean and arid or semi arid gardens, which covers Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne, Canberra, inland New South Wales and most dry country. It suits hot dry summers and cold winters alike. In the humid tropics and subtropics it is a harder ask, because still wet air encourages fungal problems in dense conifer foliage.

Soil. Drainage is the one thing it insists on. Poor, rocky, sandy and alkaline soils are all fine, heavy wet clay is not. On clay, mound the planting position 200mm to 300mm and improve the bed with compost and gypsum.

Water. Weekly deep watering through the first two summers, then very little. Established trees rarely need water outside a severe drought, and overwatering does more harm than neglect.

Feeding and pruning. Light feeding only, a complete fertiliser in early spring if growth is slow. Prune sparingly and never into bare old wood, because conifers do not reshoot from it. Trimming the outer growth in late spring keeps the column tight if it opens with age.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in eight sizes: 140mm packs of ten, 200mm packs of six, 250mm packs of three, then 300mm, 400mm, 500mm, 90L and 100L. The multi packs are the practical buy for an avenue, because a run of driveway needs real numbers. The 400mm and 500mm pots suit a single feature, and the 90L and 100L trees carry real height for an entry that has to look finished straight away.

Plants travel upright and are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Growth runs at roughly 30cm to 60cm a year once settled, so a young plant is not a slow project. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse feature and screening trees
• Compare hedging and screening plants
• Drought tolerant plants for dry gardens
• Preparing a garden bed before planting

Common questions

How wide will it actually get?

About 2m at full size, and it takes many years to get there. If you need it tighter, a light trim of the outer growth in late spring holds it closer to 1.5m.

How far apart for a driveway?

One and a half metres apart gives a continuous formal screen. For the classic avenue look with air between the columns, space them 3m to 4m apart.

Will it grow in a pot?

For a few years, yes, in a large container with free draining mix. It is a long lived tree with a deep root system, so plan to plant it out eventually.