Monterey Cypress
Hesperocypris macrocarps
Cypress Family (Cupressaceae )
Non-native
Key Identifying Characteristics
Evergreen tree where the shape is rounded, wide spreading, and and often flat-topped or irregular, shaped by wind.
Height / Size
70 to 90 feet tall.
Leaves or Needles
Leaves are scale-like, overlapping branches, bright to dark green and in pairs that rotate 90 degrees from previous pair.
Bark / Trunk
Reddish to grey fibrous with furrows.
Flower
Conifers do not have flowers. Pollen is yellow and released from tiny male pollen cones at the tips of branches.
Fruit / Seed / Cone
Cones in clusters on branches, sometimes solitary. Seeds enclosed in cone until opened by heat or fire. Cones are one inch in size.
Habitat
Closed-cone-pine/cypress forest and rocky coastal bluffs.
Location / Range
South Walnut Grove Picnic Area. Natural populations restricted to Point Lobos area on the Monterery Peninsula.
Lifespan
Can live up to 300 years.
Fascinating / Fun Facts
The species is widely used in cultivation, quick to germinate and establish itself leading it to becoming naturalized throughout the coast. Monterey Cypresses are halophytes, which means they are salt-tolerant plants that can survive in salty conditions near the sea. They do this by keeping salt out of their leaves, preventing it from reaching their roots.
Sources:
PlantID.net
Calflora
VanderWerf, Barbara. 1994. Montara Mountain. Gum Tree Lane Books, El Granada, CA