Which tree was considered sacred to Hades?

The cypress was considered sacred to Hades, the Greek god of the dead and ruler of the underworld.

Its association with Hades came from the tree’s strong connection with mourning, graves, and funerary customs. The evergreen cypress remained visually linked with death because it did not shed its foliage in winter, while its dark, upward-growing form suited ancient ideas about the somber world beneath the earth.

Greek and Roman writers also connected the cypress with the myth of Cyparissus, a youth transformed into the tree after grieving the accidental death of a beloved stag. That story helped explain why cypress became a symbol of sorrow and loss.

Cypress was not Hades’s only plant association. The narcissus, mint, and white poplar also appear in underworld traditions, especially stories involving Hades and Persephone. Laurel, oak, and olive were more strongly linked with other Greek gods, including Apollo, Zeus, and Athena.