Overview

Transform your garden into a serene retreat with the magnificent Carolina Sapphire Cypress, a truly spectacular fast growing evergreen tree. Prized for its distinctive lacy, silvery-blue foliage, this cypress variety (botanically known as Cupressus arizonica ‘Carolina Sapphire’) offers year-round color and texture. Shipped as a live plant in a quart nursery pot, it’s ready to establish itself as a focal point or a robust privacy solution in your landscape. Its striking hue and elegant pyramidal form make it a standout choice for gardeners seeking both beauty and functionality. This adaptable tree thrives in various conditions, providing consistent visual interest through all seasons.

The ‘Carolina Sapphire’ cultivar is renowned for its rapid growth rate, allowing you to achieve a mature look in your garden much faster than many other evergreen options. Its unique coloration sets it apart, offering a softer, more ethereal presence compared to darker green evergreens. Whether you’re aiming for a stately specimen tree, a dense windbreak, or a natural boundary, this silvery blue cypress delivers impressive results with relatively low maintenance.

Key Benefits

The Carolina Sapphire Cypress offers a multitude of advantages for any landscape, combining aesthetic appeal with practical functionality. Its unique characteristics make it a valuable addition to diverse garden designs.

• Stunning Year-Round Color: Enjoy the vibrant, lacy silvery blue cypress foliage that provides continuous visual interest throughout all seasons, adding a cool, refreshing tone to your garden even in winter.
• Rapid Growth for Quick Impact: As a fast growing evergreen tree, it quickly establishes itself and reaches its mature height, allowing you to achieve desired privacy or landscape structure in a shorter timeframe.
• Excellent Privacy Screen: Its dense, pyramidal form makes it an ideal privacy screen tree, effectively blocking views and creating a secluded oasis in your yard. It also works well as a windbreak.
• Adaptable & Hardy: Thrives in USDA Zones 6-9 and is known for its adaptability to various soil types and growing conditions, making it a robust choice for many regions.
• Low Maintenance: Once established, this cypress requires minimal care, making it perfect for both experienced gardeners and those new to tree cultivation.
• Architectural Form: The naturally graceful pyramidal shape adds a strong architectural element to your landscape, serving as a beautiful focal point or enhancing existing designs.
• Drought Tolerant: Once mature, the Carolina Sapphire Cypress exhibits good drought tolerance, reducing the need for frequent watering.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your Carolina Sapphire Cypress live plant is straightforward, ensuring it thrives and reaches its full potential as a magnificent landscape feature. This resilient tree prefers a location with full sun, meaning at least six hours of direct sunlight per day. While it can tolerate some partial shade, optimal growth and the most vibrant silvery-blue coloration will be achieved in brighter conditions. Ensure good air circulation around the plant to prevent fungal issues.

When it comes to soil, the Carolina Sapphire Cypress is adaptable but performs best in well-draining soil. It can tolerate a range of soil types, from sandy to clay, as long as water does not pool around the roots. Upon planting, amend heavy clay soils with organic matter to improve drainage. Water regularly during the first growing season to help establish a strong root system. Once established, it is relatively drought-tolerant, but occasional deep watering during prolonged dry periods will benefit its health. Fertilize in early spring with a balanced, slow-release granular fertilizer formulated for evergreens, following the product’s instructions for application rates.

This fast growing evergreen tree is hardy in USDA Zones 6-9. It can withstand cold temperatures within this range but may benefit from some winter protection in the colder parts of Zone 6, especially when young. Pruning is generally not required to maintain its natural pyramidal shape, but you can trim any dead, damaged, or errant branches to maintain its appearance. Watch out for common cypress pests like bagworms and spider mites, and treat promptly if an infestation is observed. Proper spacing is crucial to allow for its mature size and to ensure good air circulation, preventing disease.

Size & Details

The Carolina Sapphire Cypress is provided as a live plant, carefully nurtured and shipped in a quart nursery pot, ensuring a healthy start for your garden. This allows for easy transplanting into your preferred location. This live cypress plant is celebrated for its impressive growth rate, quickly adding height and presence to your landscape. It typically reaches a mature height of 20 to 30 feet, with a spread of 10 to 15 feet, forming a stately pyramidal shape.

The lacy, silvery-blue foliage is a standout feature, providing unique texture and color that remains vibrant throughout the year. As a fast growing evergreen tree, you can expect noticeable growth each season once established. The tree’s sturdy structure and dense foliage make it an excellent choice for creating a robust privacy screen tree or a striking specimen plant. With proper care, this beautiful tree will provide many years of enjoyment and enhance the aesthetic appeal of your outdoor space. Its adaptability to various soil types and its hardiness in USDA Zones 6-9 further contribute to its appeal as a reliable and rewarding garden addition.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does the Carolina Sapphire Cypress get? A: This cypress typically grows to an impressive height of 20 to 30 feet with a spread of 10 to 15 feet at maturity, forming an elegant pyramidal shape. It is a substantial tree perfect for larger landscapes.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: The Carolina Sapphire Cypress is an outdoor plant, best suited for landscape planting. It requires ample space to grow and thrives in full sun conditions.
• Q: How much sunlight does a fast growing evergreen tree like this need? A: This tree requires full sun exposure, meaning at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day, to achieve its best growth and most vibrant silvery-blue foliage.
• Q: What condition will the live cypress plant arrive in? A: Your plant will arrive healthy and well-packaged in a quart nursery pot, ready for planting. During colder months, it may appear dormant, which is normal and a sign of good health.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, once established, the Carolina Sapphire Cypress is considered relatively low maintenance. It’s adaptable to various soils and fairly drought-tolerant, making it a good choice for many gardeners.
• Q: When is the best time to plant this privacy screen tree? A: The best times to plant are in the spring or fall, allowing the tree to establish its root system before extreme summer heat or winter cold sets in.
• Q: Will the silvery blue cypress survive winter in my zone? A: This cypress is hardy in USDA Zones 6-9. If you are within this range, it should tolerate winter conditions well. In colder parts of Zone 6, some winter protection might be beneficial for young plants.
• Q: Can the Carolina Sapphire Cypress be used as a windbreak? A: Absolutely! Its dense foliage and robust growth make it an excellent choice for creating an effective windbreak, in addition to being a superb privacy screen.
• Q: What type of soil does this tree prefer? A: While adaptable, the Carolina Sapphire Cypress thrives in well-draining soil. It can tolerate a range of soil types but avoid areas where water tends to sit.
• Q: How quickly will this tree grow? A: As a fast growing evergreen tree, you can expect a significant growth rate, typically adding 1-2 feet or more per year under optimal conditions, allowing it to quickly fill out your landscape.