Arizona cypress vs Scots pine

Arizona cypress and Scots pine are often considered for the same spot in the garden (screening, specimen). The data below shows where they differ: size, hardiness, care, toxicity and price.

Arizona cypress

Cupressus arizonica 3.5 m × 1 m after 10 years

A blue-grey, scale-leaved evergreen that is mostly sold in slim, columnar forms: a handsome specimen in a warm, sunny spot, a screen when planted in a…

Large tree

Full sun

from about €14

Scots pine

Pinus sylvestris 4.5 m × 2.5 m after 10 years

A fast-growing native pine that starts out conical and later forms a loose, umbrella-like crown, with striking orange-red bark on the upper trunk…

Large tree

Full sun

from about €16

Key differences

Scots pine grows larger: 4.5 m × 2.5 m after ten years, against 3.5 m × 1 m for Arizona cypress (an estimate: sources differ).
Scots pine grows faster than Arizona cypress.
Scots pine is hardier: down to -40 °C, against -18 °C for Arizona cypress.
Arizona cypress copes better with summer heat than Scots pine (an estimate: sources differ).
Arizona cypress tolerates drought better than Scots pine.
Arizona cypress needs less water than Scots pine.
Scots pine also takes heavy clay, Arizona cypress needs a loose, free-draining soil.

Which one to choose?

Arizona cypress is the better choice if space is tight, the spot is hot and sunny or you cannot water regularly.

Scots pine is the better choice if you want quick results, the garden is cold or a frost pocket or the soil is heavy clay.

Watch out for

Arizona cypress

Its winter hardiness is borderline in the continental winters of Central Europe: most reliable sources rate it safely hardy to about -18 °C, although some nurseries report it surviving much colder winters. Avoid frost pockets and open, windy sites and protect young plants in their first winters. Cypress canker (a fungal disease with branch dieback and resin bleeding) occurs and mainly attacks trees weakened by drought. Bark beetles can also colonise it in prolonged drought. The pollen is strongly allergenic and is shed as early as late winter.

Scots pine

In the hot, drought-prone lowlands of Central Europe Scots pine lives at the edge of its tolerance: in Hungarian forests only about a quarter of the stands are still healthy. That is far better than black pine, of which hardly any healthy stands remain, but the trend is the same. Drought-weakened trees are attacked by Diplodia tip blight (Diplodia sapinea): needles at the shoot tips turn brown and hang on for a long time, repeatedly infected branches go bare and the tree can die. The fungus does more damage as summers get warmer and drier and is hitting Scots pine more and more often. Sawflies and scale insects also occur, and it copes badly with heavily polluted air. In a cooler, wetter, hilly location on well-drained soil, and watered in droughts, it is still a reasonable choice; in a hot, dry lowland garden it is a long-term risk.

The data side by side

Feature	Arizona cypress	Scots pine
Group	Large tree	Large tree
Size after 10 years	3.5 m × 1 m (uncertain)	4.5 m × 2.5 m (uncertain)
Ultimate size	5–18 m × 2–6 m	10–30 m × 9–15 m
Growth rate	Medium	Fast
Light	Full sun	Full sun
Soil	Average garden soil, Sandy, Calcareous	Average garden soil, Sandy, Acidic, Calcareous, Clay
Hardiness	down to -18 °C (USDA 6, RHS H6)	down to -40 °C (USDA 3, RHS H7)
Heat tolerance	High (uncertain)	Low
Foliage	Evergreen	Evergreen
Water need	Low	Medium
Drought tolerance	High	Medium
Maintenance	Low	Low
Planting distance	250 cm	600 cm
For children	no data	Non-toxic (uncertain)
Typical price	approx. €19	about €40 (40–60 cm)

Prices are rounded, indicative values. Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor. Data updated: October 17, 2026

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