Santa Cruz Cypress (Hesperocyparis abramsiana)

The Santa Cruz Cypress makes its home in northern California’s Santa Cruz Mountains, a narrow range that lies between San Francisco and Monterey Bay.

It is a remarkably fickle conifer. The tree grows only in this particular mountain range and only between 300 to 750m (1000 to 2500 ft). It disperses its seeds only with the assistance of fire and is dependent on a particular fire cycle for reproduction. Too few fires; it won’t reproduce quickly enough to replace its population. Too many fires; not enough mature trees will reach reproductive age.

Humans create problems on each end. Both the accidental fires they create and the natural fires they suppress disrupt the natural rhythms the Santa Cruz Cypress evolved to exploit.

Climate change is another looming threat. Most species with such specific climatic requirements would migrate northwards as temperatures rise. But the geography of its restricted range (directly north lies the city of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Strait) means there is nowhere for it to go.

For now, its range is protected and advances in fire management may one day help to restore the exacting cypress to its former glory.

IUCN: Critically Endangered (CR)

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Santa Cruz Cypress - Meet The Endangered