ARIZONA CYPRESS
In early 1968, trees were selected from Arizona Cypress
growing at Tom Wright’s Christmas Tree Farm in Ward, South Carolina. The trees growing there were produced from
wild seed germinated in 1961. They were
observed to have a steely blue color, dense lacy foliage with tiny yellow
flowers and a pleasing aroma; that some describe as a cross between lemon and
mint. The original selections were
cloned by Booth Chilcutt of the South Carolina Forestry Commission and test
plantings were made in various areas of the State with promising results. This clone was registered by the Royal
Horticultural Society in England
in 1987, as cupressus arizonica var. glabra, ‘Carolina Sapphire’. Another variety of the Arizona Cypress is ‘Blue
Ice’.
BLUE ICE
Powdery gray-blue, silver-blue to icy blue foliage,
symmetrical pyramid, reddish brown scaly bark, 20’-25’ high, 10’ to 12’ wide.
