Swamp Cypress, Bald cypress, Common Bald Cypress
Taxodium distichum
Family: Taxodiaceae
What it is like
Bloom Color: Brown. Main Bloom Time: Early spring, Late spring, Mid spring. Form: Pyramidal, Upright or erect.
Taxodium distichum is a deciduous Tree growing to 30 m (98ft) by 8 m (26ft) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 6. It is in flower in April, and the seeds ripen in October. 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 and can grow in very alkaline and saline soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist or wet soil and can grow in water. It can tolerate atmospheric pollution.
Height (m): 30
Where it is found
Wet sites that are under water for at least part of the year, and often overlying calcareous soils. Often found where the water is brackish.
South-eastern N. America - New Jersey to Florida and Texas.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 0
Medicine
Rating: 1
The resin in the cones is used as an analgesic for wounds.
Analgesic: Relieves pain.
Other
Rating:
The bark has been used to make cordage. Wood - light, soft, not strong, moderately hard, easily worked, straight grained, very durable in damp soil, takes a good polish. It weighs 28lb per cubic foot. The wood is not given to excessive warping or shrinking, it is used for construction, water pipes, vats etc.
Fibre: Used for making cloth, rope, paper etc.
Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.
How it is grown
Landscape Uses:Firewood, Pest tolerant, Massing, Screen, Specimen, Street tree. Although this plant can be grown in wet soils and shallow water, it thrives in any soil and trees actually grow faster in normal unflooded soils. Established plants succeed in standing water up to 60cm deep - in such a situation the roots develop 'knees', curious cone-shaped structures that grow above the ground. Tolerates the high pH of chalk streams. Tolerates atmospheric pollution. Fairly cold-tolerant, but branches can be damaged by temperatures below -10°c. A fairly vigorous tree, it can grow up to 45cm in a year with up to 4cm increase in girth. It has been planted for its timber in S. Europe, especially on alluvial soils. Buds often begin to break in March, but trees do not come properly into leaf until June and growth in height rarely starts before June. A very healthy species in Britain, rarely seen in anything but good health. It seems to be a very long-lived tree in this country with several specimens more than 250 years old. Trees are thought to live for over 1,000 years in the wild. Plants grow best in areas with warm summers. They only produce fertile seeds after long hot summers. The branches are brittle and subject to wind damage, but the tree usually recovers well. Unlike most conifers, this species responds well to coppicing. Special Features:North American native, Wetlands plant, Attracts butterflies, Inconspicuous flowers or blooms.
Propagating it: Seed - sow late winter in a cold frame. 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. If sowing a lot of seed you could sow it in early spring in an outdoor seedbed. Allow the plants to grow on in the seedbed for two years and then plant them into their permanent positions in late autumn or early spring. Cuttings in the late summer.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Canopy; Pond; Bog Garden;
Habit: Tree
Hardiness: 4-10
Growth: Fast
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist, wet, water
Things to keep in mind
Its other names
Local names
Synonyms
Cupressus disticha.