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Cupressus sempervirens

Common name:	Italian Cypress	Family:	Cupressaceae
Author:	L.	Botanical references:	11, 50, 200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	Poisonous[76]. No more details.
Range:	S. Europe to W. Asia.
Habitat:	Rocky mountainous areas, usually near the coast, in S. Europe[45, 89].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	0	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	2

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	C. sempervirens var. stricta[G]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Cipres [E], Cipreste [E], Cypress [E], Italian Cypress [H,P], Selvi [E],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	sempervirens = evergreen; virens = green;
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Pinales. Cypress family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	Egypt; Europe; Portugal; Spain; Turkey

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen tree growing to 30m by 5m at a medium rate. It is hardy to zone 7. It is in leaf all year, in flower from January to February. The scented flowers are monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and are pollinated by Wind. We rate it 0/5 for edibility and 2/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Canopy.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Anthelmintic; Antipyretic; Antirheumatic; Antiseptic; Aromatherapy; Astringent; Balsamic; Vasoconstrictor; Vulnerary.

The cones and young branches are anthelmintic, antipyretic, antirheumatic, antiseptic, astringent, balsamic and vasoconstrictive[7, 46, 240]. They are harvested in late winter and early spring, then dried for later use[7]. Taken internally, it is used in the treatment of whooping cough, the spitting up of blood, spasmodic coughs, colds, flu and sore throats[254]. Applied externally as a lotion or as a diluted essential oil (using an oil such as almond), it astringes varicose veins and haemorrhoids, tightening up the blood vessels[254]. A foot bath of the cones is used to cleanse the feet and counter excessive sweating[254]. The extracted essential oil should not be taken internally without professional guidance[254].
A resin is obtained from the tree by making incisions in the trunk[7]. This has a vulnerary action on slow-healing wounds and also encourages whitlows to come to a head[7].
An essential oil from the leaves and cones is used in aromatherapy. Its keyword is 'Astringent'[210].

Other Uses

Cosmetic; Essential; Wood.

An essential oil is distilled from the shoots. It is used in perfumery and soap making[1, 46, 61]. The leaves contain about 2% essential oil whilst the wood contains about 2.5%[240].
An infusion of the wood is used in footbaths to combat perspiration of the feet[7].
Wood - fragrant, very hard and durable. A popular wood for building uses, cabinet making and wardrobes, especially since it retains its fragrance, repels moths and is impervious to woodworm[1, 7, 11, 89].

Cultivation details

Thrives in a deep well-drained loamy or peaty soil[11]. Established plants are very tolerant of hot dry conditions and drought[81]. Tolerates poor sandy soils[81] but is then more subject to damage by white-scale insects in a succession of dry seasons[11]. Plants are not very happy when growing on chalky soils but they thrive on limestone[200]. Requires a sunny position[81].
This species is somewhat tender in Britain especially when young and at least in the north of the country[81], it grows best in the south and the west[11]. Trees are probably much hardier than has been supposed. No trees were reported as killed by the very severe winter of 1962 - 3, even some trees east of Edinburgh survived without damage. A healthy tree at Cambridge botanical gardens was 6 metres tall in 1989[K].
Growth can be quite vigorous, especially in young trees, with many averaging 60cm a year[185]. Growth slows and almost comes to a halt when the tree is 12 - 15 metres tall[185]. New growth takes place from mid-May to mid-October[185].
Plants are subject to injury by the wind[1, 11].
Trees are notably susceptible to honey fungus[200].
The seed takes two summers to mature[227]. Mature cones can remain unopened on the tree for a number of years[81]. They open after the heat of a forest fire to scatter their seeds which then germinate and grow away quickly in the ashes of the fire[200].
Plants are resentful of root disturbance, any transplanting should be done in April or September when the roots are in active growth[11, 81].
A very variable plant[11].

Propagation

Seed - sow late winter in a cold frame and only just cover the seed[164]. Three weeks cold stratification can improve germination rates[164]. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 2 months at 20°c. The seedlings are very subject to damping off so should be watered with care and kept well-ventilated[113]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. The seed can store for several years[113].
Cuttings of almost ripe wood, September in a frost-proof frame[1]. April/May is the best time to take cuttings[113].

Scent

Leaves: Crushed: No details on scent.

Cultivars

'': No entries have been made for this species as yet.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for the family Cupressaceae.

[CHINA] Data Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[7] Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984 ISBN 0-356-10541-5
Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[45] Polunin. O. Flowers of Greece and the Balkans. Oxford University Press 1980 ISBN 0-19-217626-9
A good pocket flora, it also lists quite a few plant uses.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[50] ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964
An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[76] Cooper. M. and Johnson. A. Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. HMSO 1984 ISBN 0112425291
Concentrates mainly on the effects of poisonous plants to livestock.

[81] Rushforth. K. Conifers. Christopher Helm 1987 ISBN 0-7470-2801-X
Deals with conifers that can be grown outdoors in Britain. Good notes on cultivation and a few bits about plant uses.

[89] Polunin. O. and Huxley. A. Flowers of the Mediterranean. Hogarth Press 1987 ISBN 0-7012-0784-1
A very readable pocket flora that is well illustrated. Gives some information on plant uses.

[113] Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987 ISBN 0942375009
A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.

[164] Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan. 1990
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. A good article on Yuccas, one on Sagebrush (Artemesia spp) and another on Chaerophyllum bulbosum.

[185] Mitchell. A. F. Conifers in the British Isles. HMSO 1975 ISBN 0-11-710012-9
A bit out of date (first published in 1972), but an excellent guide to how well the various species of conifers grow in Britain giving locations of trees.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[210] Westwood. C. Aromatherapy - A guide for home use. Amberwood Publishing Ltd 1993 ISBN 0-9517723-0-9
An excellent little pocket guide. Very concise.

[227] Vines. R.A. Trees of North Texas University of Texas Press. 1982 ISBN 0292780206
A readable guide to the area, it contains descriptions of the plants and their habitats with quite a bit of information on plant uses.

[240] Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986
Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

[254] Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996 ISBN 9-780751-303148
An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.

Readers Comments

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