Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Ellwoodii'

The genus Chamaecyparis is a fun group of conifers. They have a high propensity to develop mutations and as a result there are hundreds of cultivars of every shape and color. This is one of several forming the columnar habit. There are even dwarf selections of this cultivar. The Ellwood Cypress trees are fairly common in Santa Cruz, used mostly as screen or for vertical accent.  They grow to a bit over 10' tall and about 3' wide with a wonderful bluish green color.

The evergreen foliage is bluish when new, slightly more green as it ages. Chamaecyparis have scale-like leaves, however this has awl-shaped leaves with white wax on all surfaces giving it a bluish cast and an overall more prickly feel.

They do not "bloom" as they are a juvenile form so they do not set cones either.

So thats it, nice bluish-green screen with no mess.


Misidentification:
Chamaecyparis 'Boulevard' has the same foliage look, though the leaves are longer than 'Ellwoodii' and the trees are very different looking.

Location:
Aptos
323 Martin Dr.

Araucaria columnaris - Cook Pine

The Cook Pine is often encountered in our neighborhoods as a house plant gone bad, outgrowing its allocated space indoors and put into the landscape. They are very similar to the Norfolk Island pine and some references suggest that the majority of the house plants are Cook Pines and not NIP. 

These beautiful evergreen conifers are very narrow and have a curve in the stem, not sure why but they almost always do. Matt Ritter (Cal Poly SLO) says they curve lean towards the equator. Growing quite tall in their native habitat they are likely to read 40' around here. They have very short lateral branches making the tree very narrow. 

This specimen is at Cal  Poly, and seems unusually dense.

Leaves are evergreen and of multiple types. Juvenile foliage is needle-like, soft and about 1/2" long. Adult foliage is awl-like, short, stiff and sharp. The branches resemble cords. 

Female reproductive cones.

Bark is thin, and peels off in strips.

All the goodies.

Misidentification:
Many experts confuse the Cook Pine and the Norfolk Island Pine. I doubt I can tell the difference looking at the foliage. Only way I can tell is to look at the shape of the trees. They all lean. Great article with Matt Ritter in the LA times .. http://www.latimes.com/local/abcarian/la-me-abcarian-pine-tree-20170618-story.html

Location:
Aptos

1936 Seascape Blvd. Has a really strong lean.... could be falling over?

Santa Cruz
1039 Laurent St.
602 Chestnut,  Corner of Chestnut and Locust St

Santa Cruz  - Pleasure Point
230 30th Ave.

Cupressus sempervirens - Italian Cypress

The classic Italian Cypress is a narrow upright tight growing tree thats been planted for ever. Used to direct the eye in old formal landscapes. There is a popular cultivar called 'Stricta' which is about the only one being planted now a days.  

Used as a screen or hedge.

The classic gardens in Italy, such as Boboli Garden in Florence and Villa Adriana outside of Rome, planted them over 400 years ago for the same reason we plant them now, they provided a strong vertical accent that allowed the designer to focus the viewers eye. At Boboli Gardens it was to make the garden visitor look towards the house.

At Villa Adriana they did the same but with fewer plants, just being the frame of the picture.

Few of the species are planted anymore, most of the time people plant the narrow cultivar 'Stricta'.

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

Reproductive structures are stroboli, forming cones when fertilized. 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.

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. I did say most.

If its blue its the Arizona cypress, if the cones are larger than an inch it is likely the Monterey cypress, if its green, no cones and no plant to look at, punt.

Location:
Aptos
There is a nice planting at the corner of Alturas Way and Cabrillo College Drive on the north side of Park.