The closely related Montezuma, or Mexican, cypress (T. mucronatum) is native to the southwestern U.S., Mexico, and Guatemala. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Branchlets fall to the ground, leaves still attached, soon after. It has a large taproot and is slightly salt tolerant. In fact, they get the name “bald” cypress because they drop their leaves so early in the season. Its tapering trunk is usually 30 metres (about 100 feet) tall and 1 metre (3.3 feet) in diameter. The scales are thick and irregular. Bald Cypress is one of the few deciduous conifers in North America. Bald Cypress Growing. Although it looks like a needled evergreen (same family as redwoods) in summer, it is deciduous ("bald" as the common name suggests). Older trees form natural hollows and catamites that are used as cover by wildlife. Trees grow at a moderately fast rate, reaching 40 to 50 feet in about 15 to 25 years. The Bald Cypress, like the magnolia had a shaky summer in 2012 - "transplant shock" according to our contact at Big Tex. It is soft, feathery, yellowish-green in the spring, sage green in summer, and orange/cinnamon-brown in the fall. It prefers moist, acidic, sandy soils, but tolerates a wide range of soil conditions ranging from somewhat dry soils to wet soils in standing water. The russet-red fall color of its lacy needles is one of its outstanding characteristics. Old trees develop a wide, spreading base that narrows up the trunk with diameters as thick as 3-6'. Old trees develop a wide, spreading base that narrows up the trunk with diameters as thick as 3-6'. Trunks are flared or fluted (buttressed) at the base. Chlorosis often occurs in alkaline soils. Bald-cypress This stately conifer, native to the Midwest, often is found in groupings in parks and larger spaces, along streets, and around lakes. No fruits, cones on the bald cypress are round, wrinkled, 1 inch in diameter, and purplish-green that matures to brown. The presumed function of the knees is still poorly understood; they may help oxygenate the roots or provide support in the soft muddy soil. The bald cypress is easily grown in average, medium to wet, moisture-retentive but reasonably well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Cooperative Extension, which staffs local offices in all 100 counties and with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Updates? In cultivation, however, it grows very well in drier, upland soils. It is generally considered to be a separate species and is distinguished from the bald cypress by its shorter, persistent leaves and larger cones. The trees are deciduous, though the leaves can persist year-round in warm climates. Bald cypress trees grow to … The towering bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) is a common sight on Southern waterways, but it's also well-suited to California climes and is often grown as an ornamental. The needles are arranged spirally around a leaf stem, but are twisted and thus appear flat. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Bald cypress, (Taxodium distichum), also called swamp cypress, ornamental and timber conifer (family Cupressaceae) native to swampy areas of southern North America. VIDEO Created by Elizabeth Meyer for "Trees, Shrubs and Conifers" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens. The bald cypress is the best known of the three species of Taxodium, and the one which has been most often planted. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Spanish moss is often found hanging on the branches and provides food for Yellow-throated warblers. The flat needlelike leaves are arranged alternately in two ranks along small twigs. Cooperative Extension prohibits discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy), disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, and veteran status. A tree growing in wet soil is strongly buttressed about the base, and its horizontal roots often send conical woody projections called “knees” above the waterline. N.C. Bald cypress trees are native to the swampy marshes of Florida. The Characteristics of Bald Cypress. Before planting a bald cypress tree, note that the trees only thrive in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 9. In water, they develop knobby root growths ("knees") which protrude above the water surface. The wood of the bald cypress is valued for its water-resistance and is known as pecky, or peggy, cypress in the lumber trade when it contains small, attactive holes caused by a fungus. Taxodium distichum, commonly called bald cypress, is a long-lived, pyramidal conifer (cone-bearing tree) which grows 100-120 feet tall. Corrections? Grows a number of thick, heavy branches each with numerous small "branchlets" of leaves. Narrowly to broadly pyramidal when young, baldcypress, the state tree of Louisiana, eventually develops into a broad-topped, spreading, open specimen when mature. NC State University and N.C. A&T State University work in tandem, along with federal, state and local governments, to Resistant to fire, moderately resistant to damage by deer, slightly salt tolerant, Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day), Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours), 4a, 4b, 5b, 5a, 6b, 6a, 7b, 7a, 8a, 8b, 9b, 9a. The heavy, straight-grained, rot-resistant wood has been used for a variety of purposes including barrels, railroad ties, and shingles. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).