Cupressus sempervirens 'Pyramidalis' Conifer

Evocative of the Tuscan countryside but hardy in the UK to -20C, Italian Cypress trees make a wonderful architectural statement, especially when planted in pairs or rows. These narrow, columnar evergreen trees have erect branches and retain their pencil thin form throughout life. Whilst they can grow to 15 metres in height, they are easy to keep trimmed to the required height.

Commonly known as Tuscan or Italian Cypress, Cupressus sempervirens 'Pyramidalis’ requires full sun, as you would expect from a tree with Italian origins! It is drought tolerant once established, but will need plenty of water until then.

'Pyramidalis' look great all year round when planted in pairs outside front entrances, in rows within formal gardens, as a singular focal point or in containers.

AKA Cupressus sempervirens Stricta Group 'Pyramidalis', Cupressus Totem Pole tree, Italian Cypress tree, Tuscan Cypress, Mediterranean Cypress, Pencil Cypress

• Common name: Italian Cypress tree
• Latin: Cupressus sempervirens 'Pyramidalis'
• Great for: Year round interest and adding structure
• Height and spread in 20 years: 15m or smaller if trimmed
• Foliage: Dark green scale-like evergreen foliage
• Soil: Suitable for most soil types but requires a well-drained site
• Position: Full sun

Planting Advice for Cupressus sempervirens 'Pyramidalis' Conifer

Our pot grown Italian Cypress trees can be planted at any time of year. Choose a sunny, well-draining site for this variety and dig a square hole as deep as the root mass and approximately twice as wide. To aid establishment, remove weeds and grass within a metre of the planting hole and sprinkle rootgrow inside the hole.

Remove the pot, gently loosen the roots and place into the planting hole. Mix 50% of the original soil with 50% compost, fill in the hole and firm around gently. Avoid banking the soil up around the collar of the tree. Unless it is a particularly exposed location, there is no need to plant Italian Cypress trees with a stake and tie.

Aftercare Advice for Cupressus sempervirens 'Pyramidalis' Conifer

If you’re planting Italian Cypress in spring, summer or dry weather, water well and regularly for the first few months. If you’re planting in autumn, you may only need to water a little. They are drought-tolerant once established, but until then take care and increase watering if there are extended periods of hot or dry weather.

Once planted, keep the area free of competing weeds and grass for the first couple of growing seasons.

Pruning Advice for Cupressus sempervirens 'Pyramidalis' Conifer

Italian Cypress may benefit from light pruning to maintain their neat columnar shape. Also remove dead, diseased or awkwardly placed branches as and when you see them.

Covid-19: We're pleased to announce that we are back up and running in line with government advice. We have a bit of a backlog of orders and are catching up as we write. Please expect a slightly longer lead time of around 2 – 3 weeks (excludes pre-order and mature trees). Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Delivery Costs

1 small tree (most trees under 1.5 metres in height) : £7.95 + vat

1 medium tree (most trees 1.5-2 metres in height) or 2-4 small trees: £9.95 + vat

2+ medium trees or 5+ small trees: £12.95 + vat

1-4 trees delivered by pallet (inc. mature Japanese Maples): £19.95 + vat

The above prices exclude the Scottish Highlands, where delivery starts from £24.95 + vat and is calculated in the checkout process.

Mature and pleached trees or orders too large for pallet: Cost is calculated in the checkout process and varies by postcode rather than quantity (starts from £48 + vat).

Northern Ireland and Non Mainland UK

Our courier charges are not viable for just one or two trees, but if you have a larger requirement then please do speak to us to see if we can find a solution.

Delivery Timescales

All trees are carefully packed by our experienced team and most are delivered within 10 days of placing the order. There's no need to be in to receive your order and you can request where it is left via the checkout.

There is a slightly longer timescale on pleached and mature trees (trees over 2.5m in height) because we group orders together for specialist delivery - we will contact these customers to notify them of the delivery date.

Trees on pre-order are still growing and an estimate of when they will be ready is given on the basket page. Orders will be despatched when all trees are ready.

Gift trees and those required by a specific date can be accommodated with pleasure, although we accept no legal responsibility for late deliveries.

Our nursery is a busy despatch centre, so please make an appointment to collect or view trees.  For collections, despatch charges will be refunded.

The product table at the bottom of the page gives the forms and sizes available for this variety. Please note, photos are a guideline as all plants are unique. Below are definitions of terms:

Supplied Size: Height measured from the top of the pot.

Single Stem / Pruned and shaped: Classic shaped tree with a single stem that has had pruning to help create a beautiful, natural shape.

Top grafted: A height noted next to this form refers to the length of clear stem, which will not grow taller. Only the head of branches will develop. Top grafted trees do not require complicated pruning and are ideal for small spaces.

Feathered: A feathered tree has branches from the bottom of the trunk all the way up. These branches can be removed if a clear stem is required.

Multi Stem: A multi stem tree has two or more stems arising from or near ground level, growing from one root system.

Bush: A plant with many stems low down, rather than one clear stem.

Clump: Several plants in one pot that can give the appearance of a multi stemmed and very bushy tree.

Climber: A plant that is a natural climber and will be delivered usually running up a bamboo cane, ready to position in the garden.

Standard Tree: A more mature tree with an upright clear stem of approximately 1.8m-2.0m (measured from the soil to the lowest branches of the crown). Standards are available in different forms relating to their girth size (circumference of the stem measured 1m above soil level), not height:

Standard  either 6-10cm or 8-10cm girth, approximately 2.5-3.0m in height
Premium Standard  10-12cm girth, approximately 3.0-3.5m in height
Heavy Standard  12-14cm girth, approximately 3.5-4.5m in height
Extra Heavy Standard 14-16cm girth approximately 4.0-6m in height