Expert: Jim Hyland - 9/6/2007

Question
I have some 6 year old Italian Cypress that were about 20 feet tall. I recently cut about 4 feet off the top as I did not want the trees exceeding the roof line. What is the likelihood the trees will survive the topping? They have all been in good health.

Answer
It may survive but will only be a bush since the terminal was cut.
Almost any conifer can be used as a hedge. The best are those that shear easily and resprout from old wood. Italian cypress does not resprout from old wood and will not grow new branches where there are none. The trees can grow to 60 feet tall and 3 feet wide. Spacing of trees when planting should be at 3 feet. These trees are the classic formal column of Italian gardens.

Never prune evergreens without checking with an expert. Topping ruins most trees and is especially bad for conifers. Removing the growing point can ruin an evergreen. If trees have outgrown their usefulness as a privacy screen, perhaps removal and replacement with an evergreen species that can be easily maintained and has the growing characteristic that meet your landscape needs for privacy.