Cupressus sempervirens 'Stricta' - Italian Cypress

The Italian Cypress is a narrow, upright, tight growing tree that's been planted in gardens for hundreds of years.  This is a popular cultivar 'Stricta', one of several upright very narrow forms available in the trade. Trees are used to direct the eye in formal landscapes. Trees grow 20-40' tall x 3' wide, narrowing to a point at the top. I have seen them used as hedges, but its a lot of trees and they don't spread very widely, I think I would choose the species for that use. Gilman and Watson called them green telephone poles. I have seen them called Pencil Pines, but I don't think that's a popular common name around here.

Foliage is scale-like, medium green, very small, in pairs, lasting 3 or so years before falling to reveal the brown stem.  The branch sprays are rounded and held upright.

Reproductive structures are stroboli. Male are small, you can see them in the above picture at the tips of some of the branches. Females are also small, as seen below.

Cones are woody, dry, oblong, about an inch, generally not longer, with peltate scales, soccer ball like. Saw a website that called the cones "Ugly Nuts".

The taxonomy on this plant confuses me. Is there really a 'Stricta' cultivar? I have seen 'Glauca' used, and we have a 'Swains Golden' in the backyard of a neighbor but I am not sure what to make of the classic Italian cypress. Cal Poly suggests this is a naturally occurring botanical variety and should be called Cupressus sempervirens var. stricta. 

The specific epithet sempervirens means evergreen. All Cupressus are evergreen. Seems odd.

Misidentifiaction: If you are looking at the plant, not likely to be missed, but if you only have a twig, bummer. Determine it is a Cupressus, most have more or less rounded stems and most have the branchlets radiating out in all directions rather than flattened sprays. Differs from the species by being much more narrow.

Location:
Corralittos
114 Eureka Canyon Rd, as seen in the top picture.

Juniperus chinensis 'Kaizuka Variegata' - Variegated Hollywood Juniper

The Variegated Kaizuka Juniper or sometimes called the Variegated Hollywood Juniper is an uncommon sight in SC county, with only a few registering in my travels. Growing slowly to 15' with a spread of 10', the plants are very much tighter than the green hollywood juniper and lack the wide spreading branches, though the branches do twist. Grown for its splashes of cream foliage, it makes a nice specimen.

Evergreen leaves are spirally arranged, scale like, very small with juvenile awl-shaped leaves thrown in. The cream areas lack chlorophyll completely and provide no help in growth, but look cool.

Juvenile foliage awl-shaped and some lacking chlorophyll.

Quite frequently the cream foliage dies in summer heat.

This clone has cones.

Also known a Juniperus chinensis 'Torulosa Variegata'

Misidentification:
Not sure


Location:
Aptos
Corner of Soquel Dr and State Park in the parking strip of the Church, across from the Safeway gas station.

706 Clubhouse Dr.

Capitola
102 Grand Ave