Harsh growing conditions on Cypress Point and the deep shade beneath the cypresses, plus the shallow nutrient-poor soil, limit the number of shrub and understory species growing in the cypress forest. Once more widespread, Monterey Cypress Forest is now limited to two places at the north and south ends of Carmel Bay: Crocker Grove in Pebble Beach and Allan Memorial Grove at Point Lobos.

Lace lichen is often found growing on the cypresses; it is not parasitic and does not harm the trees. The trees closest to the direct salt spray are often covered with a bright orange growth: Trentepohlia, a green alga rich in beta carotene, which gives it its orange color. It too is non-parasitic and is also found growing on rocks and downed wood along the trail. Both the alga and the lichen condense moisture from the fog; it drips down into the root zone of the trees and provides extra water during the dry season.