About Cupressus lusitanica var. lusitanica
Hesperocyparis lusitanica (formerly classified as Cupressus lusitanica var. lusitanica) is an evergreen conifer tree. It grows to 40 meters tall, with a crown shape ranging from conic to ovoid-conic. Its foliage grows in dense sprays, and ranges in color from dark green to somewhat yellow-green. The leaves are scale-like, 2–5 mm long, and grow on rounded, not flattened, shoots. The species produces seed cones that are globose to oblong, 10–20 mm long, with 4 to 10 scales. The cones start out green, and mature to brown or grey-brown roughly 25 months after pollination. At maturity, cones may either open to release their seeds, or remain closed for several years. Cones only open after the parent tree is killed in a wildfire, which lets seeds colonize the bare ground exposed by the fire. Male cones are 3–4 mm long, and release pollen from late winter to early spring, which is February to March in the northern hemisphere. In most of the species' natural environment, most rainfall occurs during summer.
Hesperocyparis lusitanica is fast-growing and drought tolerant, but only slightly tolerant of frost. It was introduced from Mexico to many other parts of the world, including New Zealand. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental tree and for timber production across warm, temperate and subtropical regions worldwide. Cultivation has not used trees sourced from northern Mexico populations, which have very high drought endurance.
