Conclusion

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The best cypress cultivar in this trial was Ovensii. This cultivar performed well for growth, form and health traits. They have fast initial growth, very nice straight form, and small branches that are easier to prune. Ovensii is recommended for forestry applications in areas where there is little risk of salt laden winds and where exposed drought prone sites are avoided.

Example of an Ovensii hybrid exhibiting excellent characteristics making it suitable for forestry establishment.

Example of an Ovensii hybrid exhibiting excellent characteristics making it suitable for forestry establishment

C. lusitanica and SC5 both performed well with the characteristics of C. lusitanica making it a suitable choice for use in forestry plantations in the region, but SC5 would not be suitable for a clearwood regime. C. lusitanica is a second choice and being cheaper could be used to increase the stocking level in alternative plantings with Ovensii. Both cultivars should not be located where salt laden winds are prevalent or on exposed drought prone sites.

Both Hycol and SC2 are not recommended due to the severe lean and large stem sweeps that the stems developed from a young age. These two varieties will produce very few trees with suitable form for sawlogs, therefore they are not recommended for forestry use.

C. macrocarpa, Ferndown and Leighton Green would not be recommended due to the high incidence and severity of cypress canker. The cypress canker infection may cause more deaths over time thereby reducing the stocking and potentially disfiguring the main stems of more trees. This would lead to reduced harvest volumes of high value saw logs. However, despite the high incidence and severity of canker, Leighton Green would be recommended instead of Ovensii, or C. lusitanica in coastal situations where salt laden winds are an issue.

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