Tiny Tower® Italian Cypress

Cupressus sempervirens 'Monshel' Plant Patent #12,933

Sku #3073

A unique, compact form with exceptionally dense blue-green foliage. Maintains its narrow, columnar form and tidy, well-groomed appearance without pruning. Excellent for formal plantings or to provide structure at the back of the border. Makes a wonderful topiary or container specimen. Evergreen.

Light Needs

Full sun

Light Needs
Water Needs

Once established, water occasionally; more in extreme heat or containers.
USDA Zone ?

There are very few rules in gardening, but perhaps the most important one is to work within your zone. Choosing plants that grow and thrive in your particular climate is the very first step toward having a beautiful garden. Learn More

7 - 10

Change

Update My Zipcode

Add to Wishlist

Detail

Key Feature

Handsome Dwarf Specimen

Light Needs

Full sun

Landscape Uses

Border, Coastal Exposure, Container, Mass Planting, Poolside, Privacy Screen, Topiary, Urban Garden, Windbreak

Watering Needs:Once established, water occasionally; more in extreme heat or containers.

Botanical Pronunciation:ku-PRES-us sem-per-VY-renz

Plant type:Conifer, Tree

Deciduous/evergreen:Evergreen

Growth habit:Columnar, Compact, Narrow

Growth rate:Slow

Average landscape size:Very slow growing; reaches 25 to 30 ft. tall, 3 ft. wide with age.

Special features:Dwarf Plant, Easy Care, Waterwise, Year-round Interest

Foliage color:Blue-green

Blooms:Conifer; prized for foliage.

Garden styleContemporary, Mediterranean

Patent Act:Asexual reproduction of plants protected by the Plant Patent Act is prohibited during the life of the patent.

Design IdeasSmall Italian cypress and their topiary forms make perfect porch or patio accents. Use a matched pair to flank door, gate, art, fountain or window. Line them up on steps in matching pots for a graduated effect. Plant as part of a perennial border as reoccurring living columns. A perfect central "finger" for a symmetrical herb garden. Line them up for the ideal background for a theatrical garden in a small city garden.

Companion PlantsRosemary (Rosmarinus); Lavender (Lavandula); Bluebeard (Caryopteris); Indian Hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis); Hydrangea (Hydrangea)

Care

Care Information

Grows easily in a wide range of soil types, provided good drainage. Water deeply and regularly during the first growing season to establish an extensive root system; reduce frequency once established. Feed with a general purpose fertilizer before new growth begins in spring.

History & Lore

History:

Discovered in 1991 by nurseryman Doug Zylstra at West Covina Wholesale Nursery, Santa Barbara, California. A 'Glauca' for the exceptionally dense, narrow columnar form and tight growth habit without pruning.

Lore:

The poet Ovid, who wrote during the reign of Augustus, penned this myth: The handsome boy Cyparissus, a favorite of Apollo, accidentally killed a beloved tame stag. His grief and remorse were so inconsolable that he asked to weep forever. He was transformed into Cupressus sempervirens, with the tree's sap as his tears. In another version of the story, the woodland god Silvanus was the divine companion of Cyparissus, and he accidentally killed the stag. When the boy was consumed by grief, Silvanus turned him into a tree, and thereafter carried a branch of cypress as a symbol of mourning.

Reviews