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Cypress is a common name for various
conifer Conifers () are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the phylum, division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a sin ...
ous trees or shrubs from the ''
Cupressus ''Cupressus'' (common name cypress) is one of several genus, genera of evergreen conifers within the Family (biology), family Cupressaceae; for the others, see cypress. It is considered a Polyphyly, polyphyletic group. Based on genetic and morpho ...
''
genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of the '' Cupressaceae'' family, typically found in
temperate climate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (approximately 23.5° to 66.5° N/S of the Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ra ...
s and
subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones immediately to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Ge ...
regions of
Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
,
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
, and
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
. The word ''cypress'' is derived from
Old French Old French (, , ; ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France approximately between the late 8th -4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ...
''cipres'', which was imported from Latin ''cypressus'', the
latinisation of the Greek language">Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
κυπάρισσος (''kyparissos''). The name derives from Cyparissus, a mythological figure who was turned into a tree after killing a stag.


Description

Cypress trees typically reach heights of up to and exhibit a pyramidal form, particularly in their youth. Many are characterised by their needle-like,
evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has Leaf, foliage that remains green and functional throughout the year. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which lose their foliage completely during the winter or dry season. Consisting of many diffe ...
foliage and
acorn The acorn is the nut (fruit), nut of the oaks and their close relatives (genera ''Quercus'', ''Notholithocarpus'' and ''Lithocarpus'', in the family Fagaceae). It usually contains a seedling surrounded by two cotyledons (seedling leaves), en ...
-like seed cones. Some species develop flattened, spreading heads at maturity, while certain variants may manifest as shrubs, standing at less than . The bark of cypress trees varies, with some species having smooth surfaces, while most exhibit bark that separates into thin plates or strips, often shedding over time. Leaves of young cypress trees are spreading and awl-shaped, and are typically small, scale-like formations that tightly adhere to older branches. They are usually
aromatic In organic chemistry, aromaticity is a chemical property describing the way in which a conjugated system, conjugated ring of unsaturated bonds, lone pairs, or empty orbitals exhibits a stabilization stronger than would be expected from conjugati ...
, with glandular pits on the outer surface, and cover the stem in opposite pairs, giving the branchlet a four-sided appearance.


Species

Cypress is any of the twelve species of ornamental and timber
evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has Leaf, foliage that remains green and functional throughout the year. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which lose their foliage completely during the winter or dry season. Consisting of many diffe ...
conifers constituting the genus ''Cupressus'' of the family ''Cupressaceae''. Many resinous, aromatic evergreen trees called cypress belong to other genera of the same family, especially species of false cypress and cypress pine. The name ''cypress'' is occasionally used for some species of fustic and for bald cypress, and it often denotes
jack pine Jack pine (''Pinus banksiana''), also known as grey pine or scrub pine, is a North American pine. Distribution and habitat Its native range in Canada is east of the Rocky Mountains from the Mackenzie River in the Northwest Territories t ...
in eastern
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
. Species that are commonly known as cypresses include: *Cypress (multiple species within the genus ''Cupressus''): **''
Cupressus sempervirens ''Cupressus sempervirens'', the Mediterranean cypress (also known as Italian cypress, Tuscan cypress, Persian cypress, or pencil pine), is a species of cypress native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Iran. While some studies show it ha ...
'', a common cypress also referred to as Italian cypress and Mediterranean cypress. It is native to the eastern Mediterranean region and
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
. **'' Hesperocyparis lusitanica'', commonly known as the Mexican cypress, which is native to
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
and
Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...
. *'' Chamaecyparis:'' **'' Chamaecyparis lawsoniana'', known as the Lawson's cypress or Port Orford cedar. This is a native species to
Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
and northwestern
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
. *''
Taxodium ''Taxodium'' is a genus of one to three species (depending on taxonomic opinion) of extremely flood-tolerant conifers in the cypress family, Cupressaceae. The name is derived from the Latin word ''taxus'', meaning " yew", and the Greek word ' ...
:'' **'' Taxodium ascendens'', commonly known as pond cypress and native to North America. **''
Taxodium distichum ''Taxodium distichum'' (baldcypress, bald-cypress, bald cypress, swamp cypress; ; ''cipre'' in Louisiana) is a deciduous conifer in the family Cupressaceae. It is native to the southeastern United States. Hardy and tough, this tree adapts to a ...
'', commonly known as bald cypress and native to the southeastern United States. **'' Taxodium mucronatum'', commonly known as Montezuma cypress or Montezuma bald cypress. It is native to Mexico,
Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...
, and southern-central United States. *'' Calocedrus:'' **'' Calocedrus decurrens,'' which has the common names bastard-cedar, incense-cedar and California incense cedar. They are native to North America, specifically California, Oregon,
Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...
, and Mexico. *'' Thuja:'' **'' Platycladus orientalis'' or ''Thuja orientalis,'' commonly known as Chinese thuja and native to
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
and
Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...
. *'' Thujopsis:'' **''Thujopsis dolabrata'', also known as asunaro and hiba. This is a native species of
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
. Other species include: *African cypress ('' Widdringtonia'' species), native to Southern Africa *Bald, Pond, and Montezuma cypresses (''
Taxodium ''Taxodium'' is a genus of one to three species (depending on taxonomic opinion) of extremely flood-tolerant conifers in the cypress family, Cupressaceae. The name is derived from the Latin word ''taxus'', meaning " yew", and the Greek word ' ...
'' species), native to North America *Chinese swamp cypress ('' Glyptostrobus pensilis''), Vietnam, critically endangered *Cordilleran cypress ('' Austrocedrus chilensis''), native to Chile and Argentina *Cypress-pines ('' Actinostrobus'' species), southwestern Australia *Cypress-pines ('' Callitris'' species), Australia and New Caledonia *False cypress ('' Chamaecyparis'' species), Asia and North America. *Fujian cypress ('' Fokienia hodginsii''), southeastern China *Guaitecas cypress ('' Pilgerodendron uviferum''), western
Patagonia Patagonia () is a geographical region that includes parts of Argentina and Chile at the southern end of South America. The region includes the southern section of the Andes mountain chain with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and glaciers ...
and
Tierra del Fuego Tierra del Fuego (, ; Spanish for "Land of Fire", rarely also Fireland in English) is an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South America, South American mainland, across the Strait of Magellan. The archipelago consists of the main is ...
*Japanese cypress (''
Chamaecyparis obtusa ''Chamaecyparis obtusa'' (Japanese cypress, hinoki cypress or hinoki; or , ) is a species of cypress native to central Japan in East Asia, and widely cultivated in the temperate climate, temperate northern hemisphere for its high-quality timber ...
''), East Asia *Patagonian cypress ('' Fitzroya cupressoides''), southern Chile and Argentina *Mediterranean cypress (''
Cupressus sempervirens ''Cupressus sempervirens'', the Mediterranean cypress (also known as Italian cypress, Tuscan cypress, Persian cypress, or pencil pine), is a species of cypress native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Iran. While some studies show it ha ...
''), famous for its longevity, popular garden plant *Monterey cypress (''
Cupressus macrocarpa ''Hesperocyparis macrocarpa'' also known as ''Cupressus macrocarpa'', or the Monterey cypress is a coniferous tree, and is one of several species of Cupressaceae, cypress trees native to California. The Monterey cypress is found naturally only ...
''), native to the Monterey Peninsula, California *Nootka cypress ('' Cupressus nootkatensis''), native to the Pacific Northwest of North America *Siberian cypress ('' Microbiota decussata'') *Summer cypress ('' Bassia scoparia''), in the family
Amaranthaceae Amaranthaceae ( ) is a family of flowering plants commonly known as the amaranth family, in reference to its type genus '' Amaranthus''. It includes the former goosefoot family Chenopodiaceae and contains about 165 genera and 2,040 species, maki ...
*Western red cedar (''
Thuja plicata ''Thuja plicata'' is a large evergreen coniferous tree in the family Cupressaceae, native to the Pacific Northwest of North America. Its common name is western redcedar in the U.S. or western red cedar in the UK, and it is also called pacific re ...
''), native to North America. File:Actinostrobos arenarius fruits murchison.JPG, ''Actinostrobus arenarius'' File:Austrocedrus chilensis por pabloendemico - 001.jpg, ''Austrocedrus chilensis'' File:Slender Cypress-pine.jpg, ''Callitris preissii'' File:Chamaecyparis Pisifera bonsai.JPG, ''
Chamaecyparis pisifera ''Chamaecyparis pisifera'' (Sawara cypress or Sawara ) is a species of false cypress, native to central and southern Japan, on the islands of Honshū and Kyūshū.Farjon, A. (2005). ''Monograph of Cupressaceae and Sciadopitys''. Royal Botanic Ga ...
'',
bonsai Bonsai (; , ) is the Japanese art of Horticulture, growing and shaping miniature trees in containers, with a long documented history of influences and native Japanese development over a thousand years, and with unique aesthetics, cultural hist ...
File:Lone Cypress Sunset.JPG, ''Cupressus macrocarpa'', Monterey Peninsula, California File:Nootka Cypress.jpg, ''Cupressus nootkatensis'' File:Flickr - lo.tangelini - i.jpg, ''Cupressus sempervirens'' (Mediterranean Cypress),
Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...
,
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
File:Fokienia hodginsii - Kunming Botanical Garden - DSC03140.JPG, ''Fokienia hodginsii'' File:Fitzroya cupressoides (da Silvio Rossi).jpg, ''Fitzroya cupressoides'' File:Glyptostrobus pensilis 2007.06.28 10.10.35-p6280031.jpg, ''Glyptostrobus pensilis'' foliage File:Pilgerodendron uviferum.jpg, '' Pilgerodendron uviferum'' File:Taxodium ascendens in the Black Water, Okefenokee.jpg, ''Taxodium ascendens'', Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia (USA) File:Widdringtonia whytei Mulanje Malawi.jpg, '' Widdringtonia whytei'',
Malawi Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south, and southwest. Malawi spans over and ...


Association with mourning

In
Greek mythology Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of ancient Greek folklore, today absorbed alongside Roman mythology into the broader designation of classical mythology. These stories conc ...
, ''Cyparissos'', ''Cyparissus'' or ''Kyparissos'' (
Ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...
: Κυπάρισσος, "cypress") was a male lover of
Apollo Apollo is one of the Twelve Olympians, Olympian deities in Ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek and Ancient Roman religion, Roman religion and Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology. Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, mu ...
, as well as other
deities A deity or god is a supernatural being considered to be sacred and worthy of worship due to having authority over some aspect of the universe and/or life. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines ''deity'' as a God (male deity), god or god ...
in other versions of mythology. In the most prevalent version of the story, Cyparissus receives a stag as a gift from Apollo, which he accidentally kills with a spear while hunting in the forest. Cyparissus is overwhelmed by pain and sorrow, and asks Apollo to allow his tears to flow for eternity. Apollo transforms Cyparissus into a cypress tree, and the sap that typically drips down the tree's trunk represents Cyparissus' tears. Consequently, the cypress emerged as a symbol of mourning, sadness, and loss in
classical mythology Classical mythology, also known as Greco-Roman mythology or Greek and Roman mythology, is the collective body and study of myths from the ancient Greeks and ancient Romans. Mythology, along with philosophy and political thought, is one of the m ...
, thereby serving an aetiological purpose in explaining its cultural significance. Due to its connection to grief, the cypress became one of the symbols of
Hades Hades (; , , later ), in the ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, is the god of the dead and the king of the Greek underworld, underworld, with which his name became synonymous. Hades was the eldest son of Cronus and Rhea ...
and has been planted in cemeteries since the
classical era Classical antiquity, also known as the classical era, classical period, classical age, or simply antiquity, is the period of cultural European history between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD comprising the interwoven civilization ...
. During the
Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
period, the myth of ''Kyparissos'' was revived, and is depicted in several works of art and poetry.


See also

* Cypress forest * Hyrcanian forest * Pine-cypress forest


References

{{Plant common name Cupressaceae Symbols of Hades