Culture
Winter hardy to USDA Zones 9-10. Plants will survive brief periods of light frost but generally will die when temperatures dip below 15-20 degrees F. Best in organically rich, moderately fertile, well-drained sandy loams in full sun. Tolerates some drought once established. Site in locations protected from cold drying winds.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Cupressus cashmeriana, commonly known as Kashmir cypress or Bhutan weeping cypress, is an evergreen conifer that is native to Bhutan. In its native habitat, it will grow to as much as 100-150' tall, but typically grows to 40-60' tall with a spread to 15-20' in cultivation. It is a graceful weeping narrow pyramidal form featuring upright-ascending main branches from which droop long pendulous sprays of aromatic blue-green branchlets. Foliage of this cypress is somewhere between the needle-like juvenile leaves and scale-like adult leaves typical of trees in this genus. Leaves do not exceed 1/16" in length, but are not scale-like. Small 10-scaled cones (1/2" diameter) ripen to copper brown. This species is the national tree of Bhutan.
Synonymous with and formerly described as Cupressus torulosa var. cashmeriana.
Genus name is the Latin name for Italian cypress (Cupressus sempervirens.)
Specific epithet means of Kashmir, western Himalaya.
Problems
No serious insect or disease problems.
Uses
Where winter hardy, Bhutan weeping cypress serves as an excellent ornamental cypress for the landscape.