Gowen Cypress Cupressus goveniana
The Gowen Cypress is a rare cypress that only occurs in two locations in the world — both on the Monterey Penisula and only one of those locations is in Santa Lucia Mountains. Trees range in height from 15-30 feet with some trees growing slightly larger. They grow in association with Monterey Pines and usually on poor soils. Some taxonomist lump the Mendocino and Santa Cruz cypresses as variations of the Gowen Cypress.
A stand of Gowen Cypress surrounded by larger Monterey Pines.
Foliage, young seed cones, mature seed cones, and pollen cones. The scaled foliage of Gowen Cypress is much thinner than Monterey Cypress.
Young female seed
are spiky light yellow-green.
Mature seed cones are 3/4 of an inch and noticably smaller than Monterey Cypress seed cones.
Seed cones remain closed and on the tree for years often openned by fire. Old seed cones persist on the tree for many years after they have released their seeds.
Male pollen cones release clouds of yellow pollen during the winter months.
The bark is rough and furrowed
Tight stands of small trees 15 feet in high and 2-5 inches in diameter create a dense crown of foliage above.
Larger Gowen Cypress in the Santa Lucia Mountains are 30 to 35 feet high. They grow in association with Monterey Pines, manzanita, coast live oak,
poison oak, and huckleberry. Some invasive non-native plants threaten these small stands of rare cypress.