Tecate cypress

Cupressus forbesii

Description

Tecate cypress is an upright tree growing 20-30 ft. tall, 12-15 ft. wide. Foliage is comprised of tiny scale-like leaves that are pale green; surface bark on trunks is reddish to mahogany in color and flakes off each year.

This tree is native to a few isolated locations within the coastal and inland foothills of Southern California where it grows on dry slopes within the chaparral plant community from 1,500-5,000 ft. in elevation. It is found in rocky well-drained soils and can tolerate many months of moisture stress. When grown in Inland Empire landscapes and gardens it can be combined with other drought-tolerant natives and is used for screening, on slopes and in background areas.

Plant Type: Tree, Native
Foliage Character: Evergreen, Coniferous
Habit: Upright, Low-branching
Growth Rate: Slow
Foliage Color: Medium green
Flower Color: Insignificant
Flower Season: Summer
Soil Adaptations: Well-draining soil, Rocky soil, Clay
Exposure Adaptations: All day sun, Heat, Drought, Aridity
Function: Screening, Restoration, Residential spaces, Parks and open space, Grouped, Foliage accent plant, Banks, Background plant, Fragrant foliage, Wildlife value, Specimen, Slopes
Height: 20 ft. – 30 ft.
Width: 12 ft. – 15 ft.

Watering Schedule: Low 1

For most situations, we recommend watering deeply every 3-4 weeks after establishment.

Learn how to apply this watering schedule to your landscape on our How to water waterwise and California native plants page.

Important Notes

These are general guidelines. Always observe and adjust as necessary for your landscape.
If it rains over 1” you will likely not need to water for at least another 3-4 weeks. Before watering again, check the soil. It should be significantly dry at least 4” below the soil surface before watering.
If you have a “smart timer” or weather sensitive irrigation controller, it is best not to use the automatic weather adjusting features for plants in this category. While very useful for watering higher water demanding plants, those in this category have natural drought adaptations which mean they do not need to be watered more in warm weather. Using the weather adjusting features will result in either overwatering in summer or underwatering in fall and spring.
It is important to group plants with the same water needs together in the landscape to avoid needing to over or under water plants when running your irrigation system.

Very low maintenance plant. Inorganic mulch or organic mulch of 1-2 inches under canopy, but held away from trunk and root crown are ideal. Very little pruning is needed, except to remove drooping branches as they occur (rarely). Be sure to plant in a space that can accommodate the plant’s mature width and height as they will be a pain to continuously cut back otherwise. They are often planted too close to walls or buildings. Best planted fall through spring (5, D). References