Carolina Sapphire Arizona Cypress (tree form)
Cupressus arizonica 'Carolina Sapphire (tree form)'
Height: 6 feet
Spread: 5 feet
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 5b
Description:
A compact accent tree for a small area, with foliage that is gracefully fine and blue-green in color; use as a solitary accent in the landscape or garden
Ornamental Features
Carolina Sapphire Arizona Cypress (tree form) is primarily valued in the landscape or garden for its highly ornamental lollipop-like shape. It has attractive bluish-green evergreen foliage which emerges powder blue in spring. The threadlike sprays of foliage are highly ornamental and remain bluish-green throughout the winter. The peeling antique red bark is extremely showy and adds significant winter interest.
Landscape Attributes
Carolina Sapphire Arizona Cypress (tree form) is an open evergreen tree, selected and trained to grow in a small tree-like form with the primary plant grafted high atop a standard. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which can make it a great accent feature on this basis alone.
This is a relatively low maintenance tree, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Carolina Sapphire Arizona Cypress (tree form) is recommended for the following landscape applications;
- Accent
- Vertical Accent
- Hedges/Screening
Planting & Growing
Carolina Sapphire Arizona Cypress (tree form) will grow to be about 6 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 5 feet. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 3 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 60 years or more.
This tree should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for xeriscaping or the moisture-conserving landscape. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in sandy soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selection of a native North American species.