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Cupressus sempervirens, which originally came from Northern Iran, Syria, Turkey, Cyprus and several Greek islands (Crete, Rhodes, etc.), was introduced into the other countries of the Mediterranean basin, probably before or during the Roman epoch.
The cypress represents a vital part in the society of all the Mediterranean countries and is a distinctive element of their landscape and their art, as well as a good source of income.
In France the cypress has been planted and is present in all the coastal regions from the Alps to the Pyrenean Chain. It is used both as an ornamental plant and a
windbreaker, to protect herbaceous and arboreal plants; it can also be used for forest plantations.
In Greece the cypress grows at the sea level and even at the vegetation limit (1750 m above sea level in Crete) and forms natural woodlands in Crete, Samos, Rhodes, Cos, Simi and Milo. Amongst the old Peloponnesian populations and in the islands in the Ionian Sea, this plant is considered as
naturalized.
In Spain the Cupressus sempervirens has recently been introduced and the oldest trees are about 150 years old. It was initially used as an ornamental plant around the religious monuments and in public gardens, later it was used as a
windbreaker and for reforestation purposes.
In Italy we do not have natural woodlands with cypresses. Small cypress groves are present in the Tyrrhenian coastal hills, from Liguria to Calabria and Sicily; the biggest cypress groves are located in Central Italy, above all in the Tuscan Region, near Florence, Siena and Pisa. We must highlight, in the Commune of Fontegreca (CE), the presence of a 70 hectare cypress grove, already mentioned in 1506 and well-known as the “Zappini’s woodland”, but the origin of this name is not clear. In Northern Italy you can find the cypress, above all, on the lakeshores where the climatic conditions favour its growth.
The plant is principally used for ornamental purposes, but recently the forest plantations have also had a good growth.
In Portugal the Cupressus sempervirens is not very diffused and is used just as a windbreaker or as an ornamental tree.
The cypress can be very large, even up to 30m high, and there are two different varieties: the horizzontalis variety, which has branches almost perpendicularly inserted in the trunk, with a basically cone-shaped foliage; the pyramidalis (=stricta) variety has a fastigiated foliage, with short or long branches inserted in the trunk.
The cypress, as most forest species, prefers fertile, deep, wet and well-aired soils with a neutral pH; nevertheless, its big rustic nature often makes a good growth possible even in poor, sterile and superficial soils.
The Cupressus sempervirens tolerates cold climate quite well (up to 20°C below zero).
The cypress generally has a straight trunk. The eventual presence of defects such as knots, helicoidal fibrous structures and irregular sections of the trunk, strictly depends on the characteristics of the vegetation environment, the genetic variation of the plant and the type of cultivation eventually carried out.
The wood of the cypress has a good technological value for several reasons:
- An elevated natural resistance against biotic agents;
- Contained dimensional variations which make it very steady;
- Good stability and resistance which makes it suitable for several purposes;
- A thin texture, which allows a high level finishing;
- No difficulty in gluing.
The wood, which has a strong peppered fragrance similar to the scent of citron and juniper, acts as a repellent against several harmful insects. It is used above all for external fittings such as doors, door and window frames, shutters, floors made for walking and for internal fittings such as wardrobes, chests, floors and also for ship constructions.
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