The cypress is a symbol of Tuscany
Cupressus sempervirens, the Mediterranean cypress also known as Italian cypress, Tuscan cypress, is very suitable as bonsai.
It is well-adapted to the environmental conditions that it lives in due to its ability to survive in both acidicand alkaline soils and withstand drought. Cupressus sempervirens is important in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern culture.
In classical antiquity, the cypress was a symbol of mourning, one of the myths explains why. The handsome boy Cyparissus, a favourite 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
CYPRESS - SPECIES
- Common name: Mediterranean cypress
- Genus: Cupressus
Higher taxon:
Cupressaceae - Species: C. sempervirens, from the Latin for ‘evergreen’. It was imported into Italy by the Phoenicians and Greeks and in Tuscany, certainly by the Etruscans.’ Skill level:
Advanced. - Soil type: Medium rich, but well
draining, with 40-50% fine gravel added to the mix. - Flower and fruit:
Flowers in spring. The seed cones are ovoid or oblong, 25-40 mm / 1-1½” long, with 10-14 scales, green at first, maturing brown 20-24 months after pollination. The male cones are 3-5 mm long, and release pollen in late winter. It’s moderately susceptible to the canker that’s caused by the fungus Seiridium cardinale. Can suffer extensive dieback where the disease is common. - Foliage:
The foliage grows in dense sprays, dark green in colour. The leaves are scale-like, 2–5 mm long, and produced on rounded (not flattened) shoots. - Bark:
Grey brown flaky. Its wood is of very high quality.
CYPRESS - STYLES
