How to grow Italian cypress

Italian cypress has an unmistakeable outline: tall, slender, pencil-shaped, with tiny dark green scale-like, evergreen leaves. The foliage is strongly aromatic if crushed. It can be a useful screening tree if you want to hide a tall building from view.

The dense evergreen of Italian cypress foliage provides good nesting and roosting opportunities for birds, and winter protection for wildlife generally. Italian cypress is prone to aphids, which provide a useful food source for birds, and beneficial insects such as ladybirds.

The ultimate size of Italian cypress can be over 20m high and up to 2.5m wide in Mediterranean regions, but trees growing in cooler climates such as the UK will be much smaller. What's more, you can restrict growth to your desired size by clipping regularly. Some named varieties are naturally more slender than the species. They make good trees for pots.

How to grow Italian cypress

Use Italian cypress in a formal planting scheme to add height and structure, as a screening tree or to create a focal point in a garden design. Grow in a sheltered sunny spot, in well-drained soil. Plant early in the year – keep watered during dry spells for the first couple of years and trim regularly from an early age to maintain shape.

Growing Italian cypress: jump links

• Planting an Italian cypress
• Pruning an Italian cypress
• Growing an Italian cypress: problem-solving
• Buying an Italian cypress
• Best Italian cypress to grow

Where to grow Italian cypress

Site in full sun where the tree is sheltered from winds. Exposure to cold, dry winds can lead to distortion, scorch or damage to the neat columnar shape of this tree. Because Italian cypress is prone to airborne fungi, avoid planting in high-rainfall areas.

How to plant Italian cypress

Plant Italian cypress in well drained, reasonably fertile soil without additional organic matter or fertilizer. Avoid heavy soils that are prone to waterlogging, especially in winter. Beware of planting too deeply, which can cause the stem to rot – the top of the root ball should be level or slightly above the surrounding soil level. Secure the tree with a short stake, angled at 45°, and a tree tie. Ideally plant in late winter to spring and keep watered during dry spells for the first 1-2 growing seasons.

How to prune Italian cypress

Regular trimming is essential to maintain the slender upright shape, starting from when the tree is very young. During May to September, use shears to clip the sides to produce neat, dense growth on an evenly shaped tree, whilst avoiding cutting into older wood. If pruning multiple trees, clean the blades of the shears between doing each one, with a weak (5%) solution of bleach in water, to avoid risk of disease transmission.

Once the tree has reached the desired height, cut the top, making a slanting cut which is more in keeping with the trees’ shape than a horizontal one.

Problem solving

Correct siting and regular pruning will avert potential problems such as yellowing and dead plants due to waterlogging, and misshapen growth due to wind.

Aphids often occur on Italian cypress and may be followed by black sooty mould that thrives on the sticky honeydew that they secrete. They usually do little or no harm to the tree and control isn’t necessary – encouraging wildlife and beneficial insects, which will feed on the aphids, is the best method of control.

Italian cypress trees to grow

Cupressus sempervirens ‘Totem Pole’ – extremely thin, columnar habit.

• Buy Cupressus sempervirens ‘Totem Pole’ from Gardening Express