A nice surprise has been our unexpected success with growing the Bhutan cypress, Cupressus torulosa. This conifer, which can reach 100′ in the wild is generally considered not reliably winter hardy here in Zone 7b/8a. Despite this, our seven year old plant is still thriving, with no winter issues so far, even at a low temperature of 11 degrees F. Native to the Himalayan region that includes, Pakistan, Northern India, Nepal, and Bhutan, it can be found from 1,000′ to 9,000′ in elevation, where it grows in tropical and subtropical rainforests, on alkaline soils.
