PlantFiles: Bald Cypress
Taxodium distichum

In Brownsville, TX we also plant Montezuma Bald Cypress which do not have the deciduous habit and cannot live north to San Antonio. The two photos I added were from a private preserve/camp at Krause Springs, out of Spicewood, TX. As Wingnut said here in 2004, these trees are confirmed at over 600 years old and some passing experts have guessed them to be more like 1500 years old. I measured one at over 12' diameter and the canopy covered 75'-100' diameter. The heights are also probably 100'+ These trees are in desparate need of having wood mulch placed between the trunks and drip lines as the foot traffic is heavy and the ground is getting to be like concrete. There are natural year round crystal clear springs here and 40 acres of preserved beauty. You really need to see this park to believe. Bald Cypresses form 'knees', which, when the lower trunks are submerged , are thought to be the trees access to air above standing water. These knees come in many forms as some of the other photos here show the trees actually forming a thatch to get the trunk above the swampy water. I am also posting another photo from Uvalde, Tx, along a pond which floods its banks often and the knees actually form miniature dam structures about 3' in height that stabalize the banks in front of the tree- A Very fascinating example of adaptation to almost any aquatic area(global warming friendly?). This tree should be planted more along flood-prone waterways in the south. I collected some cones from here that were already turning brown and when you squeeze they fall apart into gummy seeds. There was almost 100% germination from the seeds and the seedlings grow extremely fast and can defoliate many times in the heat and still grow new needles.

I am starting a nursery that is growing rare trees from around the world, yet I am inclined to grow this lovely beautiful native tree. This is my favorite native tree and in my opinion one of the most beautiful, tough, and adaptable tree in North America! This tree, along with the Pond Cypress, I will add to my list of trees. The only rare tree that I can compare it to would be the Dawn Redwood.

This is a wonderful tree and an interesting addition to the landscape. They love water, but they will also grow in drier areas, although they will grow much more slowly. We live in the bluegrass area in central Kentucky and planted a grouping of them on a sloping portion of our property. The trees at the bottom of the hill where the water runs to are about four times the size of the ones at the top of the slope -- and all are the same age and planted at the same time. They are a lovely pyramid shape with an interesting red bark. They are especially lovely in early spring when the fern-like leaves are bright spring green. Summer brings a different and beautiful shade of green, and dense foliage. Birds love them. Note that they are late to leaf out, at least in this part of the country. If you want a bright fall color, this is not your tree. But they are a nice orangey-cinnamon color in the fall here, which is attractive in a grouping. They do lose their leaves in winter this far north. Highly recommend this tree. The only problem we've had with our baldcypress is some bagworms at the tops of a few of them in spring -- so we have to watch for that, as bagworms tend to return to the same trees year after year.

these are real beauties. i have two, 1 for bonsai that i grow submerged in 4 inches of water year round and another that i am growing for landscape use. no problems with them at all. very hardy

Bald Cypress can also been found on th University of Minnesota St. Paul Campus. I found at least two plants. They are small and rather stunted looked plants but are unprotected and fully hardy.

I love this tree! Only by research on the internet did I realize that the Baldcypress will grow and thrive down to zone 4. They are all but unheard of in se Wisconsin (5b) . I planted a 2.5 foot specimen near my creek early last year and now it is about 4 feet. I am anxiously waiting to see if the "knees" pop out of the water. I have also planted a couple in a nearby park--soon people will ask "how'd they get there?"

Wonderful tree! I have planted two on my property. The first one I put in over ten years ago. Extremely hardy once established and hassle free: it has withstood drought conditions, prolonged wetness (overabundant 'rainy seasons'), high winds (remnants of hurricanes that came up from Florida), and ice storms. Speaking of ice storms, the last one we had took out our ornamental plum tree so I replaced the lost tree with a second bald cypress (dormant) a month and a half ago. Since it has popped, new growth all over; transplanted well and in a good spot.

Unique fall colour-russet/bronze. Native to Georgia but thrives well elsewhere: I have seen some mature trees in eastern West Virginia. Great urban tree for tight spaces or can "spread out" if given the room to grow.

A stunning tree that one will not soon forget. Whether it is standing in swampy water ,or used as a suburban accent tree, the Baldcypress is adaptable and quite happy in most conditions.

It is a relative of the giant Redwood trees of California and it's wood is used in construction, railroad ties, fenceposts and shingles. The wood is light, straight grained, durable and does not warp easily.

Seeds are eaten by cranes and songbirds.

At Longwood Gardens, Pennsylvania they have about 25 in a row and these trees get very very tall. They are all approaching 100 feet each. Longwood for those that get close to Philadelphia is a must see, the old Dupont Mansion with just about every tree that can grow in the East in it's full mature size.

I can not think of a single bad comment for this tree! It is definately one of my favourites. If you have ever seen a swamp with a grove of Baldcypress looming in the mist-dripping with spanish moss, then you know how haunting and memorable these trees are. The stumps are just gorgeous when used for planters or animal habitats. Grinding them up is such a waste and should be illegal!
Recently I aquired a few seedlings that I am training now as a Bonsai Swamp Planting.
To anyone that has the ability to get these trees- DO IT! Save the cypress! LOL
Just, stunning.

TerriFlorida made an excellent point. The Cypress Domes do make wonderful critter habitat. Unfortunately, people keep purchasing cypress mulch for their gardens, and as long as they do then there are those who will clear cut those cypress domes and grind up those trees. Don't those gardeners think about where all this cypress mulch comes from? It has been said that they are a renewable resource. Dah! How long does it take to renew a cypress dome, and where do the critters go in the meantime?
Now I'll get off my soapbox. Mother Nature 4

GORGEOUS tree! It seems to grow rather triangular shaped until it's a few years old. This tree doesn't necessarily need a LOT of water, just regular watering, but of course will tolerate wet conditions just fine. Only produces the "knees" in wet conditions.

I have several trees that have been estimated at hundreds of years old, one in particular that is possibly over 600 years someone suggested ~ I haven't verified that yet.

I grabbed a bunch of Baldcypress seeds on the ground that grow in Annapolis in the Downtown Historic district, there are seven trees planted in a connecting alleyway to west street close to its visitor center, I wanted to plant some in my back yard which is flooded always, I can't do anything with the land because it is protected by Critical Area Laws, So I decided to create my own Baldcypress grove, it will look so cool in 20 years. I've gotten like 31 Plants growing out there now also I ordered 7 from Naturehills, and when I ran out of planters I just threw the rest of the seed in the wet areas now about 7 have just sprouted on their own, from all the research I've done on the internet they all said it was hard to grow them from seeds, I just put them in a dish of water for about 2 weeks and they sprouted like weeds.where I planted them it is dominated by tall sycamores and medium height Red Maples, the maples are always falling over when they reach a certain height because of the water logged soil, So I figured the Baldcypress would do much better in the backyard swamp. Also the poster before me said that he has 2 year old Baldcypress that wil start producing seeds ? I thought they didn't mature for like 18-20 years ?

I Have 2 Bald Cypress trees one is two years old and the other is three, this year they are going to both make nuts for the first time. I planted them in black land in Brookston Texas and the are doing really good. They seem to be growing really fast, I would recommend this tree to anyone who loves trees. (Plant Trees always)

The tree grows well in my yard. It was recommended to me for the spot it is in by an arborist. He neglected to advise me about "knees," however. They are popping up all around the base of the tree. Fortunately, they have not as yet invaded the lawn area surrounding the mulched bed in which the tree is planted, but I'm worried that they will one day. I mistakenly thought that "knees" were only found when the tree was standing in water. I now know better!

I have had the Baldcypress (correctly spelled as one word) cultivar 'Shawnee Brave' in my yard for 2 years without any problems. The winter of 2002/2003 was tough on woody plants and this tree didn't blink.

There are 3 large (50') Baldcypress trees (straight species) growing in the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN). The trees were planted in the late 50's and early 60's and have seen some very bad winters. Two of the trees are planted in one yard and cones are being produced.

I collected seed this fall and have sown the seed giving various pretreatments first. One of the seeds has already germinated, so the seed is viable.

Cuttings and scion material have been collected from the trees by the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and have been rooted and grafted successfully. The new trees are planted at the Arboretum and are doing great.

Baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) appears to be much hardier than the Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides), which looks very similar.

You can tell the two trees apart by their branches; Baldcypress has alternate branching and Dawn Redwood has opposite branching.
Mike

I do not have a cypress tree growing on my own property, as I live in a live oak hammock in Northcentral Florida, zone 8b, on practically limestone bedrock. But there are many acres of these trees very close by, growing naturally along both the Suwannee and the Steinhatchee Rivers. And there are several nearby State and County parks that have long, wooden broadwalks where people can safely walk through the swampy areas where these trees thrive in the algae-rich, green water, with many cypress "knees" growing alongside the big trees.

This area of Florida was once rich in cypress swamps, but unfortuntely for the tree, cypress wood makes a beautiful, strong, and quite water-resistant lumber for building, and now even the smallest sliver is valuable as long-lasting "cypress mulch" for suburban yards, so the trees are mostly cut down here unless they are growing in a protected area.

My Grandparent's small, unpainted cabin on a bayou in South Louisiana was built of hand sawn cypress, with cypress pegs instead of nails, which would rust in that very damp climate. The cabin was very old when my Grandparent's lived there, and there was no electricity and a huge, screened over, rainwater cistern out back. In the late 1950's, after my grandparent's had died and the property was sold, my family finally realized the old cabin's historic value and tried to get it put on an historic registry, but the new owners tore it down and put up a concrete block duplex instead. This cabin would probably still be standing now, half a century later, as cypress wood is very durable, even in our very wet coastal climate.

It is funny to me that the cypress should not have more positive comments. It is hardy and adaptable, it is interesting when young and when old, and it is easy to grow. When properly placed, it creates a marvelous garden accent. I would suggest that if you have one growing where you do not want it, remove it and have the stump ground down so that it has nothing to regrow from.

There are three very gnarly old ones out at the front of my five acres. The tallest one was hit by lightning recently. Darn! The young one in my garden (about 20' tall now) is brilliant green in spring, strong green all summer, and orange in fall. Its naked form in winter is strongly upright. I like these trees wherever I see them -- there is a cypress dome (swamp) not far from here, you see them all over Florida. They're a great critter haven.

And, cypress can make fantastic bonsai trees, too.

Bald Cypress is one of our favorite trees. It deserves a Positive rating here in the Lowcountry (coastal region) of South Carolina, where it is planted extensively by both homeowners and professional landscapers. We rejoice at the appearance of bright green leaves in the Spring and thoroughly enjoy its presence year-round. Cypress wood resists decay and is used for building fences, decks, and outdoor furniture. I had thought the only means of propagation was by seed in a wet medium.
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Comment added 6-17-04:
My husband mows over new knees or cuts them out with an ax if they interfere with mowing, and it doesn't seem to affect their growth or strength.

It's very beautiful! But it is very hard to kill. There is one growing up in the middle of the driveway which I cut down periodically so the car can go over it. It grows right back! I may give up and move the driveway. The 'cones' on mine are spherical, about 1/2" to 1" in diameter. It is not growing anywhere near water so has not formed the knees.

We have one of these here in Rio de Janeiro, in the margin of the lake in the botanical garden, though it doesn´t lose its leaves during the year, and I never saw its pines. I guess it only tolerates such hot climate, and since it´s the only one I know, I guess even that one is an exception.

Bald Cypress does best in full sun but it will grow in full shade and in almost any soil. It grows well in or near water. It will also grow in well-drained locations
This cypress grows to a maximum height of about 100 feet but 50 feet is more typical. It has a conical shape as young tree, but older ones tend to become irregular
The Bald Cypress has 4 to 5 inch cones, brownish silver in winter, greenish purple in spring. The foliage is alternate, soft and fern-like; emerald green in spring, rust colored in fall