The genus cupressus is widespread throughout the warm and warm-temperate, even arid, climates of the Northern Hemisphere: North and Central America, Europe, and Asia (from nearby Egypt to China, Iran, Afghanistan, and Vietnam). About half the species are native to the narrow triangle formed by California, Arizona, and Mexico.
Some cypress species have been successful as ornamentals and have been planted in warm and temperate climates throughout almost the entire world.

The cypress is an evergreen tree with scale-like leaves, tightly packed together or spread at the apex depending on the species.
The color of the leaves is dark in the cypress widespread in the Mediterranean basin (cupressus sempervirens), but in other species it is lighter and even blue-green.
The flowers, inconspicuous, are gathered in unisexual inflorescences.
The fruits, called "glabulous" or "coccole," are woody, rounded cones, divided into a certain number of scales that separate at maturity.

Cupressus trees generally have a rather shallow root system and demonstrate surprising adaptability to a wide variety of substrates, adapting perfectly to sandy, clayey, rocky, shallow, compact, calcareous, or arid soils.
Cypresses fear prolonged frosts and particularly humid soils.

 

The genus cupressus includes about twenty species:

Old world species
  • Cupressus atlantica, the Moroccan cypress
  • Cupressus cashmeriana, the Bhutan cypress
  • Cupressus chengiana
  • Cupressus duclouxiana, il cipresso dello Yunnan
  • Cupressus dupreziana, il cipresso del Sahara
  • Cupressus funebris
  • Cupressus gigantea, il cipresso del Tibet
  • Cupressus torulosa, il cipresso dell'Himalaia
New world species
  • Cupressus abramsiana
  • Cupressus arizonica, il cipresso dell'Arizona
  • Cupressus bakeri
  • Cupressus governiana
  • Cupressus guadalupensis
  • Cupressus lusitanica, il cipresso del Messico
  • Cupressus macnabiana
  • Cupressus macrocarpa, il cipresso di Monterey
Species widely cultivated in Pistoia
  • Cupessus sempervirens pyramidalis
  • Cupressus sempervirens totem
  • Cupressus sempervirens horizontalis
  • Cupressus sempervirens bolgheri
  • Cupressus sempervirens agrimed
  • Cupressus arizonica fastigiata
  • Cupressus arizonica fastigiata aurea
  • Cupressus macrocarpa gold crest
  • Cupressus macrocarpa aurea (lutea)
  • Cupressocyparis leylandii
  • Cupressocyparis leylandii castlewelland gold
  • Cupressocyparis leylandii gold rider
  • Cupressocyparis leylandii pyramidalis (2001)
  • Cupressocyparis leylandii variegatus