The Bald Cypress is a deciduous conifer native to the southeastern U.S.. It is lofty and pyramidal in shape, becoming flat topped as it ages. The Taxodium distichum is related to the redwood and sequoia, and has been known to live for several centuries and reach 100 feet in height.
The Bald Cypress has distinctively horizontal branches and small leaves that spiral along the stem. It has a heavy straight trunk and fibrous, reddish-brown bark. Gray cones about 1 inch in diameter appear at the end of its twigs. The foliage changes color with the seasons and age, from pale green to dark green to deep brown in autumn. In winter it loses its needles and twigs, earning its name of Bald Cypress.
The Bald Cypress is drought tolerant and adaptable but prefers wet soils. Its tap roots and horizontal roots extend 20 to 50 feet below the soil surface before turning into the ground. Bald Cypress often grows in groups, with the taller trees at the center and shorter trees on the perimeter.
When found in cypress swamps, the Bald Cypress' trunk is broader and swollen at its base. It can also display cypress knees, woody lumps that protrude from the trunk and are believed to provide aeration or gas exchange, though they may also provide additional support.
The Bald Cypress is a majestic and adaptable tree commonly found in streets, parks, and yards. It was named the official state tree of Louisiana in 1963. If transplanting a Bald Cypress, begin with a two-year-old seedling that is 1 to 2 feet in height.