Woody > Cupressus > Cupressus bakeri > Cupressus bakeri
Cupressus bakeri
Modoc Cypress
Origin: This tree is native to southwestern Oregon and northern California, growing at high elevations of 1060 m to 2100 m. It was named after botanist Milo Samuel Baker after he discovered it in 1898.
Mike's
Opinion
"
Cupressus bakeri is a handsome specimen tree. In its native climate it is drought tolerant, slow-growing, and situated in lean soils. These factors make it a perfect choice for climates within its preferred conditions, because it is not a demanding tree, and you could plant it and leave it. The grey-green colour is popular in the landscape, and the branches are fairly dense.
Michael Pascoe, NDP., ODH., CLT., MSc. (Plant Conservation)
"
| Family |
| Cupressaceae |
| Genus |
| Cupressus |
| Species |
| bakeri |
| Category |
| Woody |
| Type |
| Tree (evergreen) |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 7a - 8a |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| 7a - 8a |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H5 |
| Temperature (°C) |
| (-17) - (-12) |
| Temperature (°F) |
| 0 - 15 |
| Height |
| 15 - 21 m |
| Spread |
| 10 - 11 m |
Photographs
Cultivars
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Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| This plant is a woody evergreen tree found on the west coast of North America; its native range is Southwestern Oregon to Northern California. It is slow growing, well-behaved and handsome tree. |
| Landscape |
| Not known to be suitable for residential landscapes, as a windbreak, or for erosion control because of its slow growing nature. It can be used as a specimen tree for the hot and dry inland areas of California. |
| Cultivation |
| This woody evergreen grows in full sun, well-draining mineral soil in dry, sparse, arid locations. It likes lean soils and will not tolerate shade. |
| Shape |
| Conical, pyramidal in shape. |
| Growth |
| Slow |
| ID Characteristic |
| Woody evergreen tree that usually grows to 15 m in height, with exceptional specimens reaching 21 m. It is a slow growing tree that has reddish-brown bark and open, spreading branches that give off an aromatic scent. The bark plates on the main trunk tend to peel and curl, revealing a smooth texture. The mature and juvenile leaves are flat, scale-like, and grey-green in colour; with the mature leaves being 2 mm in size, and the immature being 2 to 10 mm in size. The tree has male and female cones that range in size and formation. The female cones are a rounded shape and grey-brown in colour, with the male cones being light brown. The female cones produce the seeds, and the male cones produce the pollen. |
| Pests |
| Young seedlings are susceptible to dampening-off, while mature specimens are vulnerable to Coryneum canker. |
| Habitat |
| Cupressus bakeri resides in hot, arid, dry, wildfire maintained locations. It prefers to grow in lean mineral soils. It grows among other evergreens such as Abies concolor and Abies magnifica. Locations are generally sparse and considered scrubby. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| The bark forms reddish-brown plates that start to curl as they peel. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description |
| The leaf and flower buds are arranged in opposite, alternating pairs. The branchlets that are derived from these buds become arranged in 4 vertical rows. |
| Leaf Description |
| Leaves are scale like, with juvenile leaves being 2 to 10 mm long, eventually becoming 2 mm long when mature. They are slightly glaucous and resinous in nature, grey-green in colour, forming in alternating pairs on the branches. |
| Flower Description |
| This particular cypress has male cones in the place of flowers, they are the ones to produce pollen, which then pollinate the female cones. |
| Fruit Description |
| The seed cones this tree produces are approximately 3 cm in diameter, silver in colour, with sticky resinous areas on the cone. It forms male and female cones, with 6 scales on female cones. They are a silver colour, and need heat to open. |
| Colour Description |
| The branches and trunk of the tree are a reddish-brown colour, the leaves are a grey-green, and the cones are silver colour at maturity. |
| Texture Description |
| The bark could be described as rough in texture, and as it peels, the underside of the plates is smooth, along with the trunk as well. The leaves are smooth and scale-like, giving off an aromatic scent. |
| Notable Specimens |
| Peavy Arboretum, South Peavy Hall, Hoyt Arboretum, Portland, Oregon. |
| Propagation |
| Modoc Cypress propagates from seed only. Male and female cones need to be present in order to make seeds. This plant is monoecious, so male and female cones are both present on one tree. Female or ovulate cones are formed in clusters of 15 to 30, which are produced when the tree is 14 years old or older, and the clusters of these cones are 20 to 40 mm in diameter. The male or staminate cones are 3 to 4 mm long, and produced once the tree reaches 6 to 7 years old. Male cones produce pollen and shed it in late autumn, winter, and spring. Seeds in the female cones mature after their second season of pollination, at around 15 to 18 months. Each cone has 50 to 100 seeds, and remains closed until fire moves through the area. The seeds fall slowly over a period of several months, and usually do not germinate where they fall, since the soil is not suitable. The seeds are usually dispersed by wind and rain. Once the seed germinates it is usually found in an area that has not had wildfires move through, and grows in full sun locations only. |
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