Monterey cypress is native to just two small groves near Carmel: Cypress Point in Pebble Beach and Point Lobos. They are a glacial relict, left over from when the tree grew over a much wider area during the last ice age. Both groves are protected, within Point Lobos State Natural Reserve and the Del Monte Forest.
The tree often grows irregular and flat-topped because of the strong winds, and its foliage smells lemony when crushed. The claim that old specimens are 1,000 or 2,000 years old has no physical evidence behind it; the oldest tree documented was 284 years.
The species has been planted widely, from Golden Gate Park to New Zealand. In Carmel, cypresses are part of the look of the coast and the village.