Hesperocyparis stephensonii

Cuyamaca cypress

Family: Cupressaceae · Type: tree · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1

Cuyamaca cypress is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native tree found in the southwestern Peninsular Ranges in Cuyamaca Mountains chaparral at elevations of 910 to 1,800 meters. A distinctive cypress with smooth, thin bark that peels in red-brown to cherry-red strips, this tree grows 10 to 16 meters tall with ultimate branches less than 1.5 millimeters in diameter. Its branches are cylindrical and covered with gray-green foliage, creating a distinctive silhouette in its rugged mountain habitat. The tree produces seed cones approximately 17 to 27 millimeters wide, which are spheric and range from dull gray to brown with 6 to 8 distinctive conic projections. Its seeds are dark to red-brown, measuring 3.6 to 6 millimeters long, with a conspicuous attachment scar.

Habitat: Chaparral

Elevation: 910-1800 m

Bioregions: sw PR (Cuyamaca Mtns)

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.