In classical antiquity, the cypress was a symbol of mourning and in the modern era it remains the principal cemetery tree in both the Muslim world and Europe. In the classical tradition, the cypress was associated with death and the underworld because it failed to regenerate when cut back too severely.
The bald cypress is a native tree to the southeastern United States that grows in the Mississippi Valley drainage basin, along the Gulf Coast, and up the coastal plain to the mid-Atlantic states. Bald cypresses are well-adapted to wet conditions along riverbanks and swamps.
Leyland cypresses (x Cuprocyparis leylandii) need plenty of room to grow. These evergreen trees can reach 100 feet tall and 20 feet wide in their preferred growing conditions. Consequently, a specimen Leyland cypress should be planted at least 15 feet from neighboring trees, shrubs, walls or fences.