Cypress tree - Ciprés - Photos.

There is a small variety of Cypress trees decorating parks, cemeteries and hedges in Madrid. You would be hard pressed to find a park or neighbourhood without one. Cypress trees pollinate in January and February causing allergic reactions among many people here, including me.

Latin: Cupresses sempervivens, Cupresses glabra, Chamaecyparis lawsoniana.

  

Cypress trees in parks

The first photo above is of the "Plaza de Oriente" between Opera and the Royal Palace in Madrid. The second picture was taken at "Lago de Polvoranca" in Alcorcón. The third photo was taken in the Sabatini gardens next to the Royal Palace. The fourth photo was taken in a park in a little town called Pinto.

Photo number 1, 2 and 3 are in the Sabatini gardens. The fourth photo is taken in a little park just east of the Royal Palace.

Cypress Tree - Cupresses sempervivens - from Cyprus

In general, Cypress trees look like a cone (like a green ice-cream cone). However, there are two very common types of Cypress trees in Madrid: the European type from Cyprus (Cupresses sempervivens) and the North American type from Arizona (Cupresses glabra). The first set of trees are of the Cyprus variety.

These are photos of the local European variety of Cypress trees. The first set of two are taken in the gardens of the Castles of Alcorcón. As you can see, they're easy to identify because they're very different from the other varieties of Cypress: they grow straight up and they're thin. In the third and fourth photos you can see a Cypress tree which has had some branches cut off at the bottom. These trees usually grow branches from the ground up. Notice where the branches were cut. The next two photos were taken near the Royal Palace. The seventh photo is of a house in my neighbourhood with a beautiful Cypress tree in the front yard. The eighth photo is of two Cypress trees in the botanical gardens of a park in Alcorcón. You can see the plaque with the word "Cypress" on it. The tenth photo is of some Cypress trees in Pinto. The eleventh and twelfth photos are taken in a park in Alcorcón.

Cupressus Sepervirens on Wikipedia

Cypress trees in cemetaries

These trees are usually also planted in Cemetaries because of their religious symbolism. The pictures above are of a Cypress tree lined sidewalk that leads right up to the cemetary of Alcorcón.

Cypress Tree - Cupresses glabra - Arizona

In general, the other varieties of Cypress trees are wider and not as pretty (especially when they get older) than those originally from the Cyprus area.

Widespread usage of the Arizona variety of Cypress trees has been criticized by local tree experts, who prefer the Cyprus variety. Personally, I think Cupresses sempervivens is a much prettier, more useful and longer-lasting tree.

Here's another look at an older Arizona Cypress.

Cupressus Arizonica on Wikipedia

Cypress "fruit" and "leaves" (of either of the Cypress trees)

It's not easy to differentiate Cypress trees from each other based on an analysis of their leaves and fruit. You may get Cypress trees confused with other trees like the Thuya, Fir and Cedar. Heavy use of hybrids within Madrid can further complicate the issue.

Cypress trees used in hedges

Cupressus Sempervirens in the Botanical Gardens of Madrid