Evergreens have long adorned city gardens and parks, alleys of sanatoriums and private sites. The crops that are in demand in landscape design are representatives of the Cypress family. About them and will be discussed in the article.
Botanical Description
The genus of evergreens cypress family Cypress today has more than two dozen species. This number includes both trees and shrubs, including dwarf forms adapted for home cultivation.
Cypresses, unlike many related species, are thermophilic, the distribution area in nature is subtropical and tropical territories, such as:
- Crimea;
- Caucasus;
- Syria;
- Himalayas;
- Sahara;
- Lebanon;
- USA (California).
The tree usually grows up to 18–25 m, shrub form - 1–2 m in height, has a spreading crown or in the form of a pyramid. This is a family of centenarians, there are specimens of 2000 years old. The trunk, covered with a light brown bark, can be slender and straight, and may bend during growth in some varieties and varieties.
Did you know? According to scholars studying the Bible, it was Noah's Ark that was built from cypress wood.
Scaly soft needles with a distinctly visible oil gland on the surface are more like modified foliage. The styloid needles reach a length of 2 mm. Color can be gray-green, green-blue and silver-blue. Another representative of the family is a cypress, in the genus of which there are 6 species. Culture is growing on the islands of Taiwan and Japan, in the northern states of America. The botanical description of the two genera is very similar, so they are often confused.
You can distinguish a cypress by several characteristics:
- Tall varieties often form a geometrically even crown resembling a column or cone.
- The shape of the shoots is flat, in cypress - round or tetrahedral.
- The tops of the branches of the trees may hang.
- Scaly needles are located crosswise, and in cypress - alternately.
- Needles on the underside are often painted white.
Popular varieties and types of cypress and cypress
In landscape design, both high species of the family and dwarf forms are appreciated. Trees and bushes lend themselves well to cutting, are not picky in care. The main advantage of plants is that they retain a decorative look all year round, in contrast to deciduous brothers. Unfortunately, in our latitudes it is impossible to cultivate all varieties, however there is a large selection of specimens adapted to our climate.
Did you know? Cypress wood releases phytoncides that repel insects. Noticing these properties, medieval cabinetmakers used it in the manufacture of church utensils, icons, and household items.
Tuevidny
According to the name, the plants look like thuja. These are trees or shrubs with a height of 40 cm to 3.5 m. A straight trunk with a gray or reddish hue bark, the crown is often in the form of a cone. Thujoid culture under the age of one year has needle needles, which later transform into scaly needles. Needles throughout the year change color from green with a blue tint to brown. Green cones of a spherical shape, as they ripen, lignerate, opening in the autumn, drop about 15 seeds.
Popular varieties in gardening:
- variegated Variegata;
- with blue needles Glauka, Hopkinton;
- compact Little Jamie with a crust of red tint.
Light-loving plants, however, young needles are prone to burns - it is advisable to shade from direct rays of the sun. Varieties are frost-resistant, but in regions with harsh winters they need shelter. They prefer moderately moist, loose soil, acidic or slightly acidic, and can grow in neutral acidity.
Nutkansky
Under natural conditions, cypress grows mainly in the highlands of North America. In the wild, the Nutkan reaches 40 m in height. The crown of the plant is first conical type, after which it acquires a pyramidal shape. The ends of the shoots hang down. The bark of a gray-brown hue, as the tree grows, departs from the trunk with thin ribbons.
Needles are made of scales, sharp at the tips, green color. Cones are brownish red, ripening time is May. Variety of weeping forms, for example, Pendula, are especially popular among gardeners. The species has high winter hardiness, can grow in the shade. Acidity and soil composition are not important for him, the main condition for development is timely watering.
Large fruited
The species comes from California (USA), where it is called Monterey Cypress. Large-fruited in nature reaches 20–40 m in height and has a wide spreading crown. Wilma Goldcrest, a variety with lemon yellow needles, is popular in home growing. In open ground, the maximum height is 10 m, it can be grown as a pot culture. This species has a upright trunk with horizontal shoots. The needles of scaly type have a pleasant lemon aroma.
Important! Large-fruited cypress does not tolerate heat, dry, stagnant air. It is contraindicated to keep it near heating appliances, in an unventilated room.
Cones are rounded, up to 4 cm in diameter. Plants grow well in a bright place, like moist air. The soil should be drained, loose, with a neutral indicator of acidity. To maintain the decorativeness of the crown, phosphate top dressing is added to the soil. Watering is carried out as the substrate dries.
Leyland
As a result of the successful crossing of large-fruited cypress and Nutkansky cypress, a new variety of coniferous plant appeared - Leyland cupressocaris. A fast-growing culture gives an annual increase of 1 m.
Important! Mowing the plant should be done with gloves, since the juice, getting on unprotected skin, causes severe irritation.
In the general description of the hybrid, there are signs of both parental species:
- columnar or pyramidal shape;
- flattened, scaly needles;
- the presence of male and female cones;
- reddish-brown, smooth bark.
Popular varieties:
Growing an evergreen culture is easy. It is necessary to ensure soil drainage, observe moderate humidity and saturation of the soil with nutrients. The tree responds equally well to organic and mineral fertilizers. The look of Leyland can develop in the shade without sacrificing decorativeness.It is highly resistant to cold and wind gusts. Some cultivars need thinning and shaping pruning up to 4 times a year.
Video: Leyland cypress
Arizona
In nature, cypress grows in the North, South-West of the USA and in Mexico, reaching a height of 25 m. The unique Arizona view easily adapts to any climatic conditions, for which landscape designers love it so much. The culture has frost resistance, drought and wind resistance, tolerates heat well. Thanks to the resinous bark it is not affected by insects, it is immune to fungal diseases.
Direct shoots form an interesting crown shape resembling a bowling pin. Needles of gray-green hue, scaly and sharp at the end. The bark is gray at first; it grows brown and peels off with strips. Cones are small - up to 3 cm, light brown. The wood of the plant is not inferior in strength to the nut.
Popular varieties in gardening:
- Konika
- Glauka
- Fastigiata;
- Compact.
Video: how Arizona cypress grows
Blue surprise
The variety belongs to the species of Lavson cypress. Blue Surprise is a dwarf form with a conical, pyramidal or columnar crown. Shoots are located vertically with respect to the straight trunk, grow slowly, only 20–25 cm per year. The bark of the plant is reddish-brown in color, cracking over time, forming furrows.
Needle needles, small, sharp, blue with a silver tint. The culture develops well on loam or sandy loam soils, with a good drainage system. Responsive to fertilizers, does not like calcareous and dry lands. It prefers open areas to the light, without the proximity of groundwater.
In regions with harsh winters, it needs partial shelter. The Cypress family includes vibrant representatives of evergreen cultures. Among a large number of varieties, every gardener who wants to decorate a site will surely find his own plant.
