| Too much fertiliser or even water will make the tree leggy and floppy, spoiling the columnar habit | Propagation is by seed and cuttings |
|---|---|
| It is an evergreen conifer that reaches a height of 20 to 30 metres | This well-known columnar Italian Cypress can be found throughout the Mediterranean and parts of the Middle East |
| sempervirens in Arriyadh, but they have not always been successful: it is probably best in a wadi, park-like garden sheltered by other trees | The Italian Cypress grows in limy, clayey soils that can be dry and poor, but must be well drained |
|---|---|
| The flowers and fruits or small cones are inconspicuous | , the plant seems to show a preference for growth on southern live oak Quercus virginiana and bald cypress Taxodium distichum because of these trees' high rates of foliar mineral leaching calcium, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus providing an abundant supply of nutrients to the plant, but it can also colonize other tree species such as sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua , crepe-myrtles Lagerstroemia spp |
| Some branches may require tying in | In collaboration with the National Solidarity Fund and Belgian Technical Cooperation: a hundred hectares were protected against erosion and consolidated by tree-planting 2,000 olive, 250 almond, 2,500 cypress, 3,000 acacia, 1,000 thornbush acacia, 8,900 saltbush and 500 eucalyptus ; five structures were erected to reduce water runoff, which has a direct influence on agricultural fields, and to protect the track against landslides |
|---|---|
| The stem is densely branched with erect branches | It withstands intense heat and aridity, responding well to deep watering every month or two |
It is also valuable as a tall screen, for high hedges, as a wind shelter and in rows along roads or formal driveways.
12