the.com/cypress

a tree that laughs at fire, water, and the polite concept of dying.

means An evergreen coniferous tree with dark, scale-like foliage and durable, rot-resistant wood, long planted around graveyards and along Mediterranean roads.

from From Old French 'cipres', from Late Latin 'cypressus', from Greek 'kyparissos'. The Greeks tied the tree to mourning through the myth of Cyparissus, a youth who accidentally killed his beloved tame stag and grieved so deeply that the gods turned him into the tree — which is why the cypress has stood guard over cemeteries ever since. The Greek word itself may be a loan from a pre-Greek Mediterranean language, since the tree predates the people who named it.

rot-proof: Cypress wood resists decay for centuries underwater
swamp lungs: Knees poke up from roots to breathe air
ancient grump: Some bald cypresses are over 2,600 years old
death tree: Romans linked it to mourning and underworld gods
fire ally: Many cypress species need fire to release seeds

for instance

monterey cypress — tree species native to california coast, lives 150+ years in gnarled coastal form

bald cypress — deciduous conifer in southeastern u.s. swamps, can live 1,000+ years

cupressus sempervirens — italian cypress iconic to tuscany and mediterranean landscaping for 2,000+ years