The genus is now Hesperocyparis, but back in the olden days I learned the rough bark Arizona cypress of southeastern Arizona as Cupressus arizonica ssp. arizonica and the Arizona cypress of central Arizona with its smooth bark was Cupressus arizonica ssp. glabra. The smooth bark Arizona cypress is the one you are most likely to find in the nursery trade and there are numerous named cultivars…25 to 30! Anyway, the wild species range further than just parts Arizona, but it is definitely a southwestern native that makes for a great large tree in your yard or part of a terrific wind break.
The photos are mine. You can see the new seed cone almost ready to open and the old open ones show the very cool structure. I initially took the trunk photo trying to capture the oozing sap from bark beetle damage, but it also shows the rough bark that gives the tree one of its common names, rough bark Arizona cypress.
When Petey gets done slinging binomials around he finally decides to talk about a very cool native butterfly.
Where we live in southeastern Arizona it has been a very wet winter with rain out in the flats and snow in the hills...
Petey complains about spring winds, but a butterfly seems to bring him around. Let’s listen.
