Hesperocyparis macrocarpa

The Monterey cypress, scientifically named *Hesperocyparis macrocarpa* (and also known as *Cupressus macrocarpa*), is a conifer native only to California. It is a glacial relict, meaning its natural range today is limited to just two small, isolated stands near Carmel: Cypress Point in Pebble Beach and Point Lobos. During the last ice age, this tree likely formed a much larger forest that stretched farther north and south.

This medium-sized evergreen often grows irregularly and develops a flat top due to the strong winds of its coastal home. Under ideal conditions, it can reach 40 meters (133 feet) tall, with a trunk diameter of up to 2.5 meters (over 8 feet). Its dense sprays of bright green foliage release a strong lemony scent when crushed. The leaves are scale-like, 2–5 mm long, on rounded shoots; seedlings under a year old have needle-like leaves 4–8 mm long. The seed cones are round to oblong, 20–35 mm long, with 6 to 14 scales, starting green and turning brown about 20–24 months after pollination. The pollen cones are 3–5 mm long and release pollen in late winter or early spring. The name *macrocarpa* comes from Greek, meaning "with large fruit."

Though some trees grow large enough that people have guessed they could be up to 2,000 years old, the oldest confirmed by physical evidence is just 284 years. Botanist Willis Linn Jepson noted that claims of 1,000 to 2,000 years in seaside literature lack real data and likely cater to a love of superlatives. Few trees live past 100 years. However, many early introductions to New Zealand around 1860 still survive, with felling being the main cause of death. One example is the 160-year-old St. Barnabas Church tree in Stoke, Nelson.

German botanist Karl Theodor Hartweg first scientifically described the species as *Cupressus macrocarpa* in 1846, during the Mexican-American War. He noted he could not venture far from Monterey for fear of being mistaken for a political spy by locals. His paper reached London in May 1847. Along with other New World cypress species, it has recently been moved to the genus *Hesperocyparis* based on genetic evidence showing New World and Old World cypress are not closely related. The Monterey cypress is a paleoendemic, with fossils found at Drakes Bay and Rancho La Brea showing a much wider past range.