Stricta or Columnar Italian Cypress                        ku-PRES-us sem-per-VI-renz

• Conifer, evergreen tree, very narrow columnar, to 20 ft (5 m) in 10 years, finally to 40-60 ft (12-18 m) tall and about 3 ft (0.9 m) wide, ascending, fussed and flatened branches, leaves dark green.
• Sun.  
• Hardy to USDA Zone (7) 8         Commonly cultivated in the southern Europe and especially in the Mediterranean region (area of origin) as well as in southern California, South Africa and Australia.  Cupressus sempervirens ‘Stricta’ is sometimes viewed as one of the two major botanical variety of the species, namely, Cupressus sempervirens var. stricta and Cupressus sempervirens var. horizontalis, the latter having broadly spreading branches.  However, others argue that the stricta form is of horticultural origin and therefore a cultivar (‘Stricta’, ‘Fastigiata’) not a variety or subspecies.  Apparently the narrow columnar form my produce some seedlings that display the horizontalis habit.