Question
I have a block retaining wall on one side of my yard. There is about 2 1/2 feet between the wall and my flagstone patio. I would like to plant Italian Cypress trees in this space. Is there enough space, and could the roots potentially cause damage to either the wall or the patio?

Answer
For this small space I would go with a dwarf Italian cypress. Cupressus sempervirens Tiny Tower. The width is about 3 feet so it will pretty much fill the area.   The perfect compact Italian cypress that retains its small size indefinitely. Exceptionally dense, blue-green foliage on a rigid, columnar form is a valuable architectural accent both in the summer and under winter snow. Perfect in containers and for small, high-profile city gardens. Requires no shearing but adapts well to topiary applications. Full sun. Very slow growth to just 8 feet tall and 2 feet wide in first decade, then 25 or 30 feet tall, and to 3 feet wide at maturity.

Check with your local nursery for these-Monrovia brand nursery grows these and ships to local nurseries.



Soil Moisture: Dry
Moist, well-drained
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Growing Zones: 7-10
Soil Types/Tolerance: Normal, loamy Clay Sandy Poor
Product Category: Trees and Shrubs Trees
Foliage Color: Blue Green
Plant Width: 3 ft
Plant Height: 25 ft - 30 ft
Plant Habit: Columnar
Uses: Containers , Border , Hedge , Ornamental , Foliage Interest
Additional Features: Easy Care Plants , Evergreen
Special resistance: Drought Tolerant , Heat Tolerant