Chinese Swamp Cypress
Glyptostrobus pensilis

Family: Taxodiaceae

What it is like

Glyptostrobus pensilis is a deciduous Tree growing to 10 m (32ft 10in) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8. It is in flower from January to March, and the seeds ripen from September to March. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and is pollinated by Wind. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers wet soil and can grow in water.

Height (m): 10

Where it is found

River deltas, etc., on flooded or waterlogged soil in full sun near sea level. This species is usually planted and is possibly extinct in the wild.

E. Asia - S.E. China.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 0

Medicine

Rating: 2

Antidote, oxytocic. Cures ascites, treats animal bites and dropsy of pregnant women. A decoction of the shoots is used in the treatment of fever, hepatitis, skin complaints etc. It is said to be an anodyne for animal bites.

Anodyne: Relieves pain, it is milder than an analgesic.

Antidote: Counters poisoning.

Febrifuge: Reduces fevers.

Oxytoxic: Hastens parturition and stimulates uterine contractions. See also birthing aids.

Skin: Plants used in miscellaneous treatments for the skin.

Women's complaints: A very vague title, it deals with a miscellany of problems peculiar to the female sex.

Other

Rating:

The roots have high buoyancy and are used to make life buoys, bottle corks, etc. Tannins extracted from the bark and the cone scales are used in tanning, dyeing, and fishing nets. Having an extensive root system, it is often planted in wet places for erosion control, to stabilize river banks and paddy field walls. It is also used as a windbreak. Wind-felled trees are used in constructing buildings, bridges and furniture.

Cork: Including any plants used as a cork substitute. Cork is used for insulation (sound or heat), fire-retardant, bottle stops etc.

Shelterbelt: Wind resistant plants than can be grown to provide shelter in the garden etc.

Soil stabilization: Plants that can be grown in places such as sand dunes in order to prevent erosion by wind, water or other agents.

Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.

How it is grown

Thriving beside water and in damp places, plants require a very damp soil and will prove hardier if they are standing in up to 60cm of water. They prefer growing in areas with hot summers and will die within 2 years if they are planted in a dry site. This species is rarely hardy in Britain, plants do not succeed outdoors at Kew. Although said to succeed in zone 8, this species is barely hardy in colder zones without hot humid summers (to ripen the wood) and even then only attains 3 - 4 metres in height. The southern distribution of this species is quite hardy but is sometimes thought to be tender due to its being planted in the wrong site. It must be given a wet soil, preferably standing water. This species is considered to be a symbol of good luck in its native regions and consequently it is not normally deliberately felled by villagers. Slower growing than the vegetatively similar swamp cypress, Taxodium distichum, it is late coming into leaf in the spring and also to lose its leaves in the autumn. Trees occasionally reach 25 metres tall in the wild.

Propagating it: Seed - we have no information for this species but suggest sowing the seed in a cold greenhouse in late winter. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Give the plants some protection from the cold for their first few winters outdoors. Cuttings. Again, no details but we would try taking cuttings of mature wood in the late autumn or winter in a frame.

Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Canopy; Pond;

Habit: Tree

Hardiness: 7-10

Growth: Medium

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Wet, water

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

G. heterophyllus. G. lineatus. G. sinensis. Taxodium heterophyllum. Thuja pensilis.