Carolina Sapphire Arizona Cypress

If you live in warmer areas of the country you know how hard it can be to keep plants alive during dry periods. Even in areas not known for drought, dry periods certainly happen and they can cause havoc in your garden. So it makes sense to choose the most drought-resistant plants you can, to be sure they will survive whatever the climate throws at them. The Carolina Sapphire Arizona Cypress is the answer when you are looking for a plant that will survive any dry spell and will thrive even in areas which have very little natural rainfall. Nature has made this plant for the tough climate of the south-west, so you can be sure it will thrive in even the most severe conditions. This drought-tolerant evergreen is our toughest plant. It will grow very quickly into a barrier that will block wind and snow and give you privacy from neighbors and roads. It is so drought-tolerant that once established it needs no help from you at all, no matter how hot and dry things get. It grows so rapidly that within a very few years you will have a beautiful, tough screen giving you the protection you need to enjoy your yard. The Carolina Sapphire Arizona Cypress also makes a great specimen plant in a lawn or in a low-water garden and it is very easy to grow, resistant to pests and diseases and can easily be trimmed to keep it at the height and shape you want it to be.

Growing the Carolina Sapphire Arizona Cypress

Size and Appearance

The Carolina Sapphire Arizona Cypress is one of the fastest-growing evergreens and it can grow as much as two feet a year when young. It will quickly reach 20 or 30 feet in height if left unclipped. When mature it will be 8 or even 12 feet across, so plant your specimen tree far enough away from buildings to leave room for your tree to develop into its full beauty. The foliage is soft and very fine, like lace of a beautiful steely blue color, and it smells delicious, like a cross between lemons and mint. It has a natural airy, and billowing look, creating a light landscape tree of considerable beauty. Older trees will produce round, woody cones about an inch covered with a blue powdery coating.

Using the Carolina Sapphire Arizona Cypress in Your Garden

The Carolina Sapphire Arizona Cypress has many uses in the garden, but it is especially useful for a hardy screen and as a specimen tree. Grown as a screen it will quickly reach a suitable height and develop into a dense screen that will give you complete privacy and protection from strong winds. If you want a trouble-free, no-care-needed specimen tree then this tree is the answer. Not only will it make an attractive specimen but it has the perfect Christmas Tree shape, so it can be decorated each year to celebrate that season.

Hardiness

The Carolina Sapphire Arizona Cypress is hardy to minus 100F, so not only will it survive drought, it will take some cold too. It will grow well in zone 7 and even in zone 6, right into the hottest parts of the country, although it does need some winter chill, so it will not do so well in areas like southern Florida. All through the southern half of America and right up the West, this tree will thrive in the toughest conditions. If you are looking for a similar looking hardy evergreen for colder regions we recommend the Blue Juniper, a form of Eastern Red Cedar, Juniperus virginiana, which is hardy even in zone 3.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Choose a sunny location to plant your Carolina Sapphire Arizona Cypress. It needs well-drained soil and will tolerate poor, stony soils, as well as clays and sands.

Maintenance and Pruning

This tree is resistant to pests and diseases, especially the deadly Cypress Canker, which does not affect it. Combined with drought tolerance this really is a completely trouble-free plant that will work hard in your garden. It can be clipped if you like, or left to develop its charming natural form. Never cut back to bare branches, as these will not respout.

History and Origin of the Carolina Sapphire Arizona Cypress

The Arizona Cypress, Cupressus arizonica, grows naturally in Mexico and into the south-western states of Arizona and New Mexico. In 1968 a special selection was made from some seedlings of plants from Arizona which were a variety called glauca. The unusual seedling had very lacy foliage of a gorgeous steel-blue color, which made it very special and attractive. It was given the name ‘Carolina Sapphire’ by the growers, who were at Clemson University, South Carolina. This tree combines all the toughness of the common Arizona Cypress with a soft appearance and a very beautiful color

Buying the Carolina Sapphire Arizona Cypress at the Tree Center

These trees are true to the correct form of this unique plant, and we always give you the best plant for your purpose. However we are constantly receiving new material so that our customers get the best and healthiest plants, so supplies of this very popular tree may be limited. To avoid disappointment order right away.