Taxodium distichum (Bald Cypress)

Long-lived and majestic, Taxodium distichum (Bald Cypress) is a deciduous coniferous tree of great beauty. It features an upright, pyramidal form that enhances many landscapes. Unlike most cone-bearing trees, Bald Cypress loses its needles each winter and grows a new set in spring.

Long-lived and majestic, Taxodium distichum (Bald Cypress) is a deciduous coniferous tree of great beauty. It features an upright, pyramidal form that enhances many landscapes. Unlike most cone-bearing trees, Bald Cypress loses its needles each winter and grows a new set in spring. Its delicate foliage sprays of soft, feathery, sage-green leaves, turns rich shades of orange, cinnamon, and golden-brown in the fall, before dropping and revealing the red-brown to silver exfoliating bark. Small ovoid, purplish-green cones mature to brown. Flared at the base, its trunk develops knobby growths ('knees') when grown in waterlogged soils. The russet-red fall color of its lacy needles and the interesting winter silhouette are some of its outstanding characteristics. A spectacular tree for stream banks or pond edges.

  • Grows up to 50-70 ft. tall (15-21 m) and 20-30 ft. wide (6-9 m).
  • A full sun lover, this plant is easily grown in moist or poorly drained soils. Prefers moist, acidic, sandy soils, but tolerates a wide range of soil conditions, ranging from dry soils to wet soils to standing water.
  • Virtually pest and disease free.
  • Requires little pruning
  • Propagate by seed
  • Native to the southeastern United States.

Requirements

Hardiness 5
– 11

Heat Zones 5
– 12

Climate Zones 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Plant Type Conifers, Trees
Plant Family Taxodium – Cypresses
Exposure Full Sun
Season of Interest Spring (Early,Mid,Late)Summer (Early,Mid,Late)FallWinter
Height 50'
– 70'
(15m
– 21m)
Spread 20'
– 30'
(6m
– 9m)
Water Needs Average, High
Maintenance Low
Soil Type Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained, Poorly Drained
Characteristics Showy, Fruit & Berries
Native Plants United States, Midwest, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, Northeast, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Southeast, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Southwest, Oklahoma, Texas
Tolerance Clay Soil, Deer, Wet Soil
Attracts Birds
Garden Uses Bog Gardens, Ponds and Streams, Rain Gardens
Garden Styles Prairie and Meadow