Alternative to the Italian Cypress Tree

Alternative to the Italian Cypress Tree

If you love the look of the tall, slender Italian Cypress tree, but are unable to grow them successfully, Palmco offers the ideal evergreen alternative – the attention-getting Mast Tree. Fairly new to Florida grower production, it’s destined to become a popular landscaping choice.

Palmco assists landscape contractors, architects and developers with everything they need to beautify resorts, golf courses, commercial properties, residential estates and more, by providing large tree transplants and specimen trees throughout the country and worldwide.

Italian Cypress Problems

The stately Italian Cypress, also known as Mediterranean Cypress or Tuscan Cypress, is a popular choice with landscapers as an architectural accent, for tall hedges, or to delineate a property boundary.

Unlike South Florida. the Mediterranean region the Italian Cypress is native to has a very dry climate. Our Florida humidity makes the tree prone to root rot, spider mites, fungus, and cypress canker disease, which causes the trees to develop brown patches and die back.

Excessive moisture from frequent rain or irrigation can cause twig blight which is commonly associated with frequent rain or irrigation. It can cause leaves to turn light green, then yellow, then reddish-brown.

Wet root conditions contribute to root rot, which is hard to detect and often not noticeable until the tree is in serious decline. And spider mites extract plant juices from foliage, primarily during spring and fall, and create patches of yellowing and brown foliage throughout the tree.

If you prefer not to hassle with the temperamental Italian Cypress, consider the Mast Tree!

About the Mast Tree

Native to India and Sri Lanka, the Mast Tree (Polyalthia longifolia ‘Pendula’) grows to 30 to 45 feet tall by 4 to 5 feet wide at maturity with a straight, thin trunk (once used to build ship masts), and layers of feathery, wavy-edged leaves that hang from drooping branches.

The tree’s lush foliage ranges from coppery brown when new, to light lime green, to a glossy dark green as the trees age. Leaves remain on the tree in all seasons, almost completely covering the trunk and creating an eye-catching and colorful focal point.

Fragrant star-like pale green flowers appear once a year in the spring or summer and typically last for two to three weeks. Due to their color, they are barely noticeable, but attract butterflies and birds.

Tall, narrow Mast Trees can be used as tall hedges, privacy screens, noise screens, windbreaks, to line driveways, avenues and walkways, or as architectural accents to frame entryways, soften building corners and vertical edges, and cover vertical drain-pipes. They are also suitable for narrow spaces because they grow quite tall but stay slender.

Mast Trees have very little leaf drop, no pest issues of note, and require little to no maintenance. They prefer well-drained rich clay, loam or sandy soil, will grow in full sun or partial shade, and are drought-tolerant and moderately salt tolerant when mature.

Consider wholesale Mast Trees from Palmco when you need a unique, eye-catching, easy-to-maintain alternative to the Italian Cypress tree that few others will have! Get in touch with us at (239) 283-1329 to discuss your design requirements.