If you've ever travelled around the Mediterranean, especially the south and Italy, you will have seen Italian Cypress trees, Cupressus sempervirens dotted around the hills and in formal gardens. Instantly recognisable for their tall, slender form, they're breathtaking and wonderfully elegant. Not to be confused with Leylandii, to which they're related, Italian Cypress have a naturally narrow and dense growth habit, growing arrow straight. These trees are completely hardy in the UK and evergreen, so they'll look magnificent all year round. Preferring a sunny location and well drained soil, they're drought tolerant and easy to look after, and reasonably fast growing. Although the branches of Cupressus sempervirens will grow vertically without training, these trees will benefit from regular clipping, in the same way as most conifers. The more they're clipped, the tighter and denser they'll become. This also reduces the risk of any branches falling out of shape, especially if it snows. A