skip to main content

Tropical Plants

Is anyone in subtropical zone 10 growing italian cypress?

18 years ago

I would really like to put in a line of Italian Cypress but there are currently none on island, Is anyone in Puerto Rico or the Caribbean growing this cypress variety? If so please share any info you can. Thanks in advance.

Featured Answer

Firstname Lastname

2 years ago

Italian Cypress does not do well in tropical areas as the tree can easily get fungus from the wet conditions in the region. They do well on semi-arid islands like Aruba, Bonaire, or Curacao as these islands get similar annual rainfall precipitation as the Mediterranean region. Make sure your soil has good drainage and you are good to go!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

unautre
18 years ago
Do you think they wouldn't grow on St John?
Alyce Venice
Original Author
18 years ago
I haven't seen one here on St. John or on St. Thomas. I would really like to put them on the hillside behind my house as our new home landscape will be more of a Mediterranean look.I am not encouraged by the two nursery's here. As they have to be special ordered shipped and planted I thought someone might have a word of advice.
Related Discussions
If You Could Live in Zone 9-10, What Would You Grow?
Q
Comments (51)
Yes, in the USA, where people are accustomed to brightly colored peels on their citrus , they would automatically just assume the orange is unripe if the peel is green so I doubt many people would buy them as is. That's exactly why some commercial distributors in this country artificially dye their peels. I've seen oranges, limes and lemons that have clearly had their peels dyed. I used to pick all citrus at market by the color of their peels but after picking many citrus fruit at market with beautifully deeply colored peels in the past only to find them hard, dry and pithy inside, I now know better. Juicy ripe citrus will give a bit to pressure when filled with juice and fully ripe
...See More
Water schedule for newly planted Italian Cypress trees
Q
Comments (10)
The soil is likely staying excessively moist. Using garden soil - topsoil, clay, etc. - in a container is NOT advised due to its very small particle size (lack of porosity) and lack of ability for it to drain well. Also, those are unnecessarily large containers for such small starts so too much too wet soil as well. Watering every two days is way too much for those little guys in tha size pot and with that soil!! When growing anything in a container you need a dedicated container soil - a soil-less mix that is primarily bark based. If not, you risk the excessive moisture retention and perched water table that will lead inevitably to root rots. Try posting in the Container Gardening forum. This is really not an irrgation issue.
...See More
Italian Cypress trees in Brooklyn NY
Q
Comments (2)
If you are trying to create some privacy for a ground level patio area, a small tree that you can sit under can block the view from above. Or a small pergola.
...See More
Italian cypress shade tolerance
Q
Comments (9)
Because of what they are genetically programmed to do (see at link below) if you don't plant a dwarf cultivar or employ maintenance shearing that will eventually require a cherry picker to undertake it should be expected that these trees WILL overwhelm the planting site in time. Including growing in front of the doors from the sides. UFEI - California Big Trees (calpoly.edu)
...See More
unautre
18 years ago
They grow here in San Antonio, with 28 inches rain/year, and 4-5 months of 90F heat, quite un-Mediterranean. They are very popular in famously Mediterranean 10-inch/year San Diego CA.

Are there USA-to-USVI plant quarantine rules?

You can get 50 seeds for $2.85 here: http://seedrack.com/03.html
wanna_run_faster
18 years ago
I got 2 out of 50 Italian Cypress seeds from seedrack to germinate (out of over 250 seeds I got from them, I had, on average, less than 5% germination). They are about 8 or 10 months old now and about 1/2" tall so I think if you are looking for hedging material you are much better off buying mature plants. But otherwise, I live in sub-tropical zone 10...and they seem to like it just fine.
Virgin123
10 years ago
Yes Italian cypress can grow in the U.S. Virgin Islands. My parents have about five of them growing in their yard in St Thomas

Related Stories

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING Grow a Lush Privacy Screen

By Christine Tusher

No need to wait forever for patio privacy the green way. These 10 ideas will get your screening up and running in no time

GARDENING GUIDES Grow Your Own Privacy: How to Screen With Plants and Trees

By Jocelyn H. Chilvers

Use living walls to lower your home and garden's exposure while boosting natural beauty in your landscape

GARDENING GUIDES 9 Low-Growing Hedges That Make Good Neighbors

Define garden areas or borders without blocking the view, with these evergreen shrubs that take kindly to trimming

GARDENING GUIDES 7 New Plants to Grow for Beautiful Foliage

Add color, structure and interest to your garden with these recently introduced plants that sport exceptional foliage

EDIBLE GARDENS Summer Crops: How to Grow Tomatoes

By Marianne Lipanovich

Plant tomato seedlings in spring for one of the best tastes of summer, fresh from your backyard

LANDSCAPE DESIGN The Weepers and the Creepers: 10 Intriguing Trees for Your Garden

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

Bring something a little different to your landscape with a tree that dives, twists or crawls

KITCHEN DESIGN 10 Reasons to Bring Back the Humble Kitchen Table

GROUND COVERS Ground Force: 10 Top Ground Covers for Your Garden

By Carol Bucknell Garden Design

Protect your soil from weeds and drought this summer with a living mulch of ground covers

GARDENING GUIDES 10 Drought-Tolerant Shrubs That Thrive in Full Sun and Reflected Heat

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Got a hot spot in your garden where plants often die? Try these tough shrubs that add beauty while shrugging off the heat

GARDENING GUIDES Oh, Deer! 10 Native Flowers That Stand Up to the Herds

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Keeping a garden amid hungry deer can be hard, but these plants should fare well

Sponsored

Peabody Landscape Group

8 Reviews

Franklin County's Reliable Landscape Design & Contracting

More Discussions

Tillandsia Watering/Soaking

5

Which Dracaena is this?

2

Need Help Identifying this Plant

2

Jatropha mutifida : branching

0

Are Cordylines shade plants?

4