Monterey cypress Wilma - Cupressus macrocarpa

The Cupressus macrocarpa ‘Wilma’ is a variety of Monterey Cypress with so-called 'golden' foliage often used by bonsai enthusiasts or in festive table decorations. Though slow to start, this attractive conifer eventually grows upwards when planted to form, after many years, a beautiful slender column reaching 6m in height, notable for its chartreuse foliage flecked with gold. Thriving in Atlantic coastal gardens where it makes a splendid specimen, it tolerates poor, sandy soil, sea spray, and salty fogs. Choose a sheltered spot for this somewhat tender variety.

The Cupressus macrocarpa is one of the largest species in the Cupressaceae family. Commonly known as Monterey Cypress or macrocarpa, it is a tall conifer native to the Monterey area on the west coast of the United States from which it derives its name. In the wild, it grows in forests along California’s central coast, benefiting from the atmospheric moisture and fog it favours. In their native habitat, some specimens reach 36m in height with trunks up to 2.4m in diameter. Similar to Chamaecyparis, they differs in their  rounded branchlets arranged in brush-like clusters and larger cones with woody scales.
Reaching 3m in 10 years, the ‘Wilma’ cultivar will rarely exceed 6m in height with a 2m spread in our temperate climates. Growing slowly, its foliage appears somewhat coarse up close, releasing a faintly acidic aroma when crushed. Its small, blunt, triangular leaves are imbricate on short cylindrical branchlets, themselves attached to twigs. Young plants under one year old bear juvenile needle-like leaves. The golden-yellow foliage in spring growth turns chartreuse from summer to winter. The female cones are globose and green when young maturing to brown. The reddish-brown bark becomes greyer with age. This tree has a taproot system, anchoring it deeply to draw water and nutrients while resisting strong winds. Hardy to -7°C in well-drained soil, it requires winter protection in colder regions.

With its narrow habit and moderate growth, the Monterey Cypress ‘Wilma’ is suited to medium-to-large gardens. Ideal for windswept coastal gardens with sandy soil, this radiant conifer makes a striking statement whether in contemporary, wild, romantic, or English-style gardens. Its luminous foliage pairs beautifully with plants featuring darker foliage, deep green or purple. For convenience or lack of inspiration, it can be pruned into a hedge like its cousin the Leyland Cypress – though this would rob the tree of its natural grace, scale and character. Widely planted along Brittany’s coast, the macrocarpa thrives in regions with cool summers and mild, wet winters.