Growing your own cypress trees right here at home is actually a much better move than trying to bring a sapling back from a sunny Mediterranean vacation. If you want a cypress to thrive in our climate, it’s best if it starts its life here as a seed or a cutting. This helps the plant build up some serious “homegrown” resilience. What the pros do in nurseries is actually pretty easy to pull off in your own backyard!
Sturdy, Budget-Friendly, and a Lesson in Patience
If you decide to grow cypresses yourself, you’ll end up with hardy plants for just a few bucks. The catch? It’s a slow game. It can take up to eight years for a seed or cutting to reach about three feet in height. If you’re looking to put up a privacy hedge by next summer, this might not be the route for you. But if you’ve got the time, it’s incredibly rewarding.
The Tried-and-True Cutting Method
Here’s a pro tip: for cypress trees, you don’t actually “cut” the cuttings—you tear them off with a quick tug. You want a little bit of the old bark (called a “heel”) to stay attached to the shoot. Winter is the best time to start this process, as that’s when they tend to root most successfully.
- Snip off the very tip of the shoot.
- Strip away the lower needles.
- Aim for a cutting that’s about 4 inches long.
- Stick it into a pot with some high-quality seed-starting mix.
- Cover it with plastic wrap to keep the humidity in (but remember to vent it regularly!).
- Place it in a bright spot that stays frost-free.
- Keep the soil consistently moist.
You’ll know roots have formed when you see new green growth popping up. Once the little guy gets a bit bigger, move it to a larger pot. Make sure to water and fertilize your cypress as needed, and keep it indoors during the winter for the first few years. Only once it hits about 30 inches or more is it tough enough to be planted out in the garden.
Sowing Cypress Seeds
Cypress seeds develop inside the female cones, but they take at least two years to fully ripen. The cones eventually turn woody and often only release their seeds when things get hot—like after a forest fire. In a home garden, you might have to give nature a nudge by carefully holding the cone over a flame. This “fire-starting” requirement (and the massive amount of patience needed) is probably why most folks don’t choose this method.
- Sow the seeds in seed-starting soil.
- Cover them very lightly with a thin layer of dirt.
- Stretch plastic wrap over the tray.
- Don’t let the soil dry out.
- Keep them in a bright spot that stays cool (around 50°F).
Heads up: it can take several months before you see even a tiny sprout. Once the seedlings are big enough to handle, move them into their own pots. It will still be years before they are hardy enough to survive a winter outdoors.
Quick Tip:
If you can’t find any local cypress cones to harvest, check online! There are plenty of specialty shops that sell seeds ready to go.
