Arizona Cypress

Cupressus arizonica

Mature cones of Arizona Cypress, Cupressus arizonica. Photographed along Pinto Creek, Gila Co., Arizona, Bark detail in image below. November 2006. A full resolution image is hosted by Wikimedia

TREE: One of the truly beautiful trees that Sonoran Desert riparian habitat supports. The champion Arizona Cypress is 27+ meters tall.

BARK: In Central Arizona smooth-barked varieties predominate, whereas in Southeast Arizona the fibrous barked varieties are more common. At Pinto Creek there are specimens with both smooth and fibrous bark.

CONES: The fleshy cones mature into indurate spheres about 15mm dia.

LEAVES: Leaves are scale-like and closely appressed to the stems.

RANGE: In the Upland Sonoran Desert of Arizona along permanent riparian habitat which is growing scarcer throughout the Desert Southwest.

Cupressaceae -- Cypress Family

Additional Information:

• The Gymnosperm Database
• USDA Plant Profile
• ITIS Taxonomic Report
• Flora of North America
• Google Images
• Google Scholar Literature Search

The leaves and stems.
Photo hosted at Wikimedia