Taxodium distichum

Common Names

Bald Cypress, Swamp Cypress, White Cypress, Tidewater Red Cypress, Red Cypress, Gulf Cypress, Southern Cypress, Pond Cypress, Deciduous Cypress, Cypress

Summary

Baldcypress is a native southeastern United States deciduous conifer that naturally grows in wetlands along streams and swamps and often develops knees in waterlogged sites, it features light to medium green, needle-like leaves arranged in two ranks that turn coppery red in autumn, and reddish-brown, peeling bark, the species is monoecious, with separate male cones and female globose cones; seeds about a quarter inch long float on water for dispersal, typical mature form reaches 60 to 80 feet tall with a 25 to 35 foot spread, exhibiting a pyramidal to broad crown that becomes more irregular with age, cultivation prefers full sun to partial shade and wet to moist, acidic soils, but tolerance extends to clay, loam, or sand; drought tolerance increases with establishment, hardiness ranges USDA zones 4 to 11, propagation is by seed, in landscapes Baldcypress serves as a shade tree, screen, hedge, or specimen and adapts to urban plantings such as street trees and pond edge plantings; wood is rot resistant and used for outdoor construction, maintenance is relatively low, with pruning mainly to remove dead wood and to manage knee related issues near water; knees may form and obstruct mowing near wet sites, pests such as bagworms and mites can occur on stressed specimens, and twig blight is a potential disease concern.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

50-70 feet

Spread

240-360 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 4-11

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally Full Sun; tolerates Partial Sun or Partial Shade.

Soil Type

Moist, acidic, swampy soils

Soil Drainage

Moist but well-drained soil.

Soil pH

5.5-6.8, acidic to slightly alkaline soils, avoid soils with pH above 7.5

Bloom Color

Purplish

Bloom Time

Spring

Foliage Color

Green

Fall Foliage Color

Copper to reddish-brown, yellow, orange

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Fast when young, then slows with age.

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Cuttings, Sprouting from stumps

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts birds