Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich.

Bald cypress, baldcypress, cypress, southern cypress, white-cypress, red-cypress, swamp cypress, pond cypress, tidewater red-cypress, gulf-cypress, bald-cypress

Bald-cypress is native to the southeastern United States.

Plants: 33–131′ (10–40 m) tall, with a trunk 3–7′ (90–210 cm) in diameter. Bark is grayish or reddish-brown, and fibrous. Though conifers, these are deciduous, dropping their needle-like leaves in the winter. They are often seen in swampy areas, and develop a distinctive flared base in water, surrounded by knobby root growths. They are frequently festooned with Spanish moss. The tallest specimen is 145′ (44 m) tall, and the oldest is 2,624 years of age—the oldest known tree in eastern North America.

Leaves: Alternate, needle-shaped leaves are linear, ½–¾″ (1.3–1.9 cm). They are soft and feathery, and turn yellow or coppery red in the fall.

Fruits: Male and female cones appear on the same tree. Male cones form on panicles 4–5″ (10–13 cm) long. Female cones are round and resinous when young, turning hard and brown later. They are spherical and ¾–1¼″ (2–3.5 cm) around. Each cone contains 20-40 seeds.

Habitats: It thrives in many subtropical habitats—wet, salty, dry, or swampy.

Closely similar cypress species.

Online References:

Older scientific or horticultural names

Taxodium distichum description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.

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