Cupressus sempervirens

Evergreen tree that can be up to 35 m tall in favourable conditions. It has a variable form according to the inclination of its branches: they may give it a narrow, columnar appearance, or be more extended and pyramidal. In old specimens, the greyish-brown bark is usually very cracked longitudinally. The leaves are small scales, around 0.5-1 mm in length, with an obtuse tip, and dark, matt green in colour. They overlap very tightly, like the scales of a fish, and completely cover the twigs. If you rub the foliage, it gives off a slightly resinous aroma. Cypresses usually have separate male and female cones, although these appear on the same plant. The male cones are very small (4-8 mm) and yellow in colour. When the round, green female cones are fertilised they give rise to woody fruit, known as strobilus and similar to pine cones, that are formed of 8-14 scales and which are 2-3.5 cm in diameter. The Mediterranean cypress has greyish-brown cones when ripe. These are shaped like ellipsoids or elongated spheres, differentiating it from the Monterey cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa). They take almost 2 years to develop completely and, when finally ripe, the scales open to release small, flattened seeds, with narrow wings.