Black Cypress Pine

Black Cypress Pine (Callitris endlicheri) is a narrow Australian native conifer that reaches around 8m tall and 3m wide in a garden, growing to that size slowly over about fifteen years. Fine, dark, aromatic foliage is held right down to ground level in a naturally upright column, so it screens without shaping. It handles frost, drought, wind and thin rocky soil, which is a rare combination in an evergreen screen.

Why you'll love it

• Height without width. At roughly 3m across it gives a tall evergreen screen down a boundary that a spreading conifer would swallow.
• Dense from the ground up. Foliage carries to the base rather than lifting into bare trunk, so the screen stays solid at fence height and below.
• It survives what kills other conifers. Wind firm and untroubled by poor soil, so exposed rural boundaries suit it.
• Native and genuinely low maintenance. No feeding programme, no spraying, no annual shaping. Small birds use the dense interior for shelter and nesting.

Where it works best

Screening and hedging. Plant 2m apart for a dense evergreen screen. The columns meet at that spacing without competing.

Windbreak. On acreage, a single row at 2m spacing filters wind rather than blocking it. The fine foliage sheds gusts instead of catching them.

Feature planting. A matched pair either side of a gate, or a group of three in a native bed, gives vertical structure few Australian natives can.

Growing black cypress pine in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun. It grows across subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and arid gardens, and is properly frost hardy, so cold inland and southern districts are well within range. Shade thins the foliage and spoils the column.

Soil. Drainage is the one non negotiable. Sandy, gravelly and shallow rocky soils are ideal, and poor fertility is no obstacle. On clay or in a low spot, plant on a raised mound, since sitting wet is what kills this species.

Water and feed. Deep soak weekly through the first two summers, then let rainfall do the work. A light native fertiliser in spring for the first few years is enough, and mature trees need nothing.

Pruning. Trim lightly and often if you want a formal face, always staying within green growth. Like most cypress it will not reshoot from bare brown wood, so a hard cutback leaves a permanent hole.

What to expect when it arrives

It is sold in one size, a 45L pot, which is an advanced tree with real height and a formed column on arrival. That matters with a species this slow: from tube stock you would wait years for a useful screen.

Trees are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Expect a settling season with little visible growth, then steady, unhurried extension. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Growing and maintaining conifers
• Browse the conifer range
• Screening plants between 4m and 8m
• Plants suited to windbreaks and shelterbelts

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a screen?

Two metres apart in a single row. Any closer and the columns compete for light and thin at the base, which is the opposite of what you want.

How fast does it grow?

Slowly, and that is the honest answer. Expect 6m to 8m over about fifteen years in a garden. If you need a screen this season, a faster shrub in front of it is the usual solution.

Can I clip it into a formal hedge?

Yes, with light regular trimming, always within green growth. Cut back into bare brown wood and the gap stays.

Will it cope with frost and drought?

Both, once established. It is frost hardy rather than merely frost tolerant, and handles long dry spells on poor soil. Waterlogging is what it cannot survive.

Western Australia: this species has escaped from gardens and naturalised in WA, where it competes with local bushland plants. We do not recommend it for gardens in the south west of WA. Please choose a local alternative.