Monterey cypress
Cupressus macrocarpa Hartw. ex Gordon
Also known as: Macrocarpa
Family: Cupressaceae
Up to 20-25 m as a mature specimen in the open, often kept at 1-3 m in a pot or clipped hedge
Planted as a specimen, as a windbreak hedge or as a small potted plant (cultivar 'Goldcrest') in gardens and garden centres throughout France
Flowering: February - March (inconspicuous flowering, conifer)
Full sun
Hardy to -12/-15°C, dislikes severe continental cold
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
When crushed between the fingers, its foliage gives off a characteristic lemon or resin scent that makes it unmistakable. The Arizona cypress has very marked silvery-blue foliage and a narrow, regular habit, whereas the Monterey cypress has light green to golden foliage and a broader, conical outline.
🍃 Leaves
Foliage of tightly packed scales, aromatic when crushed (lemon scent), bright green or vivid golden in the cultivar 'Goldcrest'
🌸 Flowers
Inconspicuous yellowish male cones at the tips of the shoots in the depths of winter
🍎 Fruits
Rounded woody cones 2-3 cm across, with bumpy scales, green then greyish-brown when ripe
🪵 Bark
Reddish-brown bark that cracks into broad longitudinal plates with age
🗺️ Distribution
Native to the Californian coast (Monterey), very widely grown in France, notably on the Atlantic coast and in pots
🐝 Value for pollinators
Little nectar value, but dense foliage providing shelter and nesting sites for birds
✂️ Horticultural uses
Very popular garden-centre conifer as a small golden plant ('Goldcrest'), also planted as a windbreak hedge on the coast
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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