Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum)

Bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) is a long-lived deciduous conifer native to swamps, creeks, and rivers in southeastern areas of North America. These trees grow quite slow, but due to their longevity, they can reach remarkable heights. Bald cypress is often cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate and subtropical regions worldwide.

I. Appearance and Characteristics 

Taxodium distichum (baldcypress,[1][2][3] bald-cypress,[4] bald cypress, swamp cypress; French: cyprès chauve; cipre in Louisiana) is a deciduous conifer in the family Cupressaceae. It is native to the southeastern United States. Hardy and tough, this tree adapts to a wide range of soil types, whether wet, salty, dry, or swampy. It is noted for the russet-red fall color of its lacy needles.

This plant has some cultivated varieties and is often used in groupings in public spaces. Common names include bald cypress, swamp cypress, white cypress, tidewater red cypress, gulf cypress and red cypress.

Taxodium distichum is a large, slow-growing, and long-lived tree. It typically grows to heights of 35–120 feet (10–40 m) and has a trunk diameter of 3–7 feet (0.9–2.1 m).

The main trunk is often surrounded by cypress knees. The bark is grayish brown to reddish brown, thin, and fibrous with a stringy texture; it has a vertically, interwoven pattern of shallow ridges and narrow furrows.

The needle-like leaves are 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 inch (1.3 to 1.9 cm) long and are simple, alternate, green, and linear, with entire margins. In autumn, the leaves turn yellow or copper red. The bald cypress drops its needles each winter and then grows a new set in spring.

This species is monoecious, with male and female cones on a single plant forming on slender, tassel-like structures near the edge of branchlets. The tree produces cones in April and the seeds ripen in October. 

The male and female strobili are produced from buds formed in late autumn, with pollination in early winter, and mature in about 12 months. Male cones emerge on panicles that are 4–5 inches (10–13 cm) inches long. Female cones are round, resinous and green while young. They then turn hard and then brown as the tree matures. They are globular and 2.0 – 3.5 cm (3⁄4–1+3⁄8 in) in diameter. They have from 20 to 30 spirally arranged, four-sided scales, each bearing one, two, or rarely three triangular seeds. Each cone contains 20 to 40 large seeds. 

The cones disintegrate at maturity to release the seeds. The seeds are 5–10 mm (3⁄16–13⁄32 in) long, the largest of any species of Cupressaceae, and are produced every year, with heavy crops every 3–5 years. The seedlings have three to nine, but usually six, cotyledons each.

The bald cypress grows in full sunlight to partial shade. This species grows best in wet or well-drained soil but can tolerate dry soil. It is moderately able to grow in aerosols of salt water. It does well in acid, neutral and alkaline soils across the full range of light (sandy), medium (loamy), and heavy (clay) soils. It can also grow in saline soils. It can tolerate atmospheric pollution. The cones are often consumed by wildlife.

The tallest known specimen, near Williamsburg, Virginia, is 44.11 m (145 ft) tall, and the stoutest known, in the Real County near Leakey, Texas, has a circumference of 475 in (39 ft). The National Champion Bald Cypress is recognized as the largest member of its species in the country and is listed as such on the National Register of Champion Trees by American Forest. The National Champion Bald Cypress is in the Cat Island Nation Wildlife Refuge, near St. Francisville, Louisiana, and it is 96 feet (29 m) tall, 56 feet (17 m) in circumference, and is estimated to be approximately 1,500 years old. The oldest known living specimen, found along the Black River in North Carolina, is at least 2,624 years old, rendering it the oldest living tree in eastern North America.

The Senator, a bald cypress in Longwood, Florida, was 165 feet (50 m) tall before the hurricane of 1925, when it lost about 40 feet (12 m) in height. It had a circumference of 47 feet (14 m) and a diameter of 17.5 feet (5.3 m) and was estimated to be 3,500 years old. It was burned down accidentally in 2012.

“Big Dan” is one of the oldest living specimens and is found near High Springs, Florida at Camp Kulaqua. It is estimated to be 2,704 years old as of 2020. It is growing in the Hornsby Spring swamp run and is more than 35 feet in circumference.

II. How to Grow and Care

Sunlight

This tree does not tolerate shade well; it should be planted in an area that receives full sun to partial shade. It will fail to thrive in areas that receive less sun, and you will notice growth and foliage issues as a result.

Temperature and Humidity

Often considered a fabled tree of the swampy south, the bald cypress is quite hardy. Trees planted in the Northeastern United States are hardy to temperatures of -20° to -29° Fahrenheit. Their USDA zone is 4-9.

Watering

Bald cypress prefers a moist environment and demands a lot of water, but can tolerate occasional drought. Watering is not necessary if planted in a water bank, but it is important to ensure an adequate supply of water in dry locations, especially when the tree is young. If there is a continuous drought during the growing season, water frequently to ensure the health of the tree.

Soil

Bald cypress needs to have soil that has good drainage but retains moisture. The soil also needs to be acidic and should have a moist and sandy consistency. If you test the soil pH during planting and acidity is too low you can always amend the soil at this point. A quick way to do this is by adding peat moss into your soil during planting

Fertilizing

If planted in a fertile location, such as on a regularly fertilized lawn, no additional fertilizer is required. Otherwise, you should spray a diluted, balanced fertilizer (N-P-K = 20-20-20) once a month for one year after transplantation. Bald cypress older than 5 years can be fertilized annually or every 2 years. Evenly sprinkle the fertilizer around the roots of the tree in the evening or morning, when it is cooler.

Planting Instructions

You can buy bald cypress seedlings with soil balls from a reputable nursery to transplant in your garden. Generally, transplanting is done in spring. Dig a pit somewhere open and sunny with a diameter 20 cm wider than that of the root ball and a depth 15 cm greater than the diameter of the root ball. 

Before transplanting, apply organic fertilizer to the bottom of the pit, mixing it well with the soil. Place your seedling into the pit vertically and backfill the soil. When you’ve filled 2/3 of the soil, water deeply once to ensure that the roots have enough moisture. After filling, water once more and compact the soil firmly to keep the surface of the pit at the same height as the ground. If you plant it in a windy climate, support the young tree with wooden sticks or iron frames to avoid it leaning or falling on windy days. If planted in the lawn, leave a trench around it for future watering.

Pruning

In general, bald cypress does not need much pruning. But if your young bald cypress grows 2 main stems, one of them should be trimmed off, leaving only one trunk. This will make the tree have a better shape. Also, branches that are infected with diseases and pests need to be pruned in order to prevent further transmission. After the leaves drop in fall, collect and burn ground residue to destroy the pathogens and eggs hiding there, and reduce the probability of pests and diseases in the following year.

Propagation

You can propagate bald cypress from both seeds and cuttings. To grow bald cypress from seed, collect mature seeds in fall or winter, store them mixed with wet sands in a 1:8 ratio, and sow them in early spring. After sowing, cover the seeds with soil and water deeply, and the seeds will germinate in 80-100 days. Seedlings propagated by seeds need to be transplanted after 2-3 years.

If you want to propagate by cutting, collect semi-woody branches of the current year in summer or fall and cut them into 10 to 15 cm-long pieces (cuttings). Soak the cuttings in rooting powder and insert them in sterilized river sand. Cover the sand with plastic film to keep sufficiently high humidity in the substrate and air. The cuttings will root later then.

Transplanting

To ensure bald cypress thrives, transplant it during the early to mid-spring, as this allows the root system to establish before summer heat sets in. Choose a location with full sun and wet or moist soil. Gently handle the root ball during transplanting to minimize stress on the plant.

III. Uses and Benefits 

• Ornamental uses

Bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) is a popular ornamental tree that adds a blaze of fall color to gardens as its leaves redden. This is an evergreen tree and so gives year-round color. It is a tall tree with a fairly broad crown so is best grown as a feature tree in larger gardens, working well in combination with weeping willow.

• Building material

Still usable prehistoric wood is often found in swamps as far north as New Jersey, and occasionally as far north as Connecticut, although it is more common in the southeastern states. This partially mineralized wood is harvested from swamps in the southeastern states, and is greatly prized for special uses such as for carvings. The fungus Lauriliella taxodii causes a specific form of the wood called “pecky cypress”, which is used for decorative wall paneling.

The bald cypress was used by Native Americans to create coffins, homes, drums and canoes. Joshua D. Brown, the first settler of Kerrville, Texas, made his living producing shingles from bald cypress trees that grew along the Guadalupe River of the Texas Hill Country.

In the southern United States, the odorless wood, which closely resembles that of other Cupressus species, has been valued since colonial times for its resistance to water, making it ideal for use wherever the wood is exposed to the elements. In the first half of the 20th century, it was marketed as “The Wood Eternal.”

The lumber is valuable for timber framing, building materials, fence posts, planking in boats, river pilings, doors, blinds, flooring, shingles, garden boxes, caskets, interior trim and cabinetry.

Bald cypress timbers are commonly available in lengths up to 24 feet. This species enjoys predictable lead times for projects. The wood is a very light tan in color and weathers to a uniform silvery gray. Paint and stains adhere well to Bald cypress. Bald cypress most often sees use in outdoor structures such as timber frame pavilions, mid-size farmers markets, porches, exterior awnings and decorative trusses where the species’ weather resistance helps ensure long life.