[3] Cupressus sempervirens is widely present in culture, most notably in Iran, where it is both a sacred tree and a metaphor for "the graceful figure of the beloved".

[4] Cupressus sempervirens is a medium-sized coniferous evergreen tree growing up to 35 m (115 ft) tall, with a conic crown with level branches and variably loosely hanging branchlets.

[8] The tree is moderately susceptible to cypress canker, caused by the fungus Seiridium cardinale, and can suffer extensive dieback where this disease is common.

[9] C. sempervirens has been widely cultivated as an ornamental tree for millennia outside of its native range, mainly throughout the Mediterranean region and in other areas with similar hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters, including California, southwest South Africa, and southern Australia.

The dark green "exclamation mark" shape of these trees is a highly characteristic signature of Mediterranean town and village landscapes.

[13] Dried seeds of Cupressus sempervirens are sometimes used to help people control skin conditions such as acne and to heal cuts or scrapes.

[6] Because the tree must survive wet winters and hot, dry summers, its roots are adapted to be stout and shallow for easier gathering of the nutrients in the soil.

[2] In Persian, C. sempervirens is called the "Graceful Cypress" (sarv-e nāz), and has a strong presence in culture, poetry and gardens.

[14][failed verification] 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.

[17] The poet Ovid, who wrote during the reign of Augustus, records the best-known myth that explains the association of the cypress with grief.

[19] In Jewish tradition, cypress is held to be the wood used to build Noah's Ark[citation needed] and Solomon's Temple,[20] and is mentioned as an idiom or metaphor in biblical passages, either referencing the tree's shape as an example of uprightness or its evergreen nature as an example of eternal beauty or health.