Taxodium distichum
Baldcypress
Mature Size, Growth, Longevity
Usually 50-70' tall and 20-30' wide, occasionally to 100' tall & 75' wide. Habit is columnar, becoming pyramidal. Lateral branches pendulous. Becomes flat-topped & picturesque in old age. Medium growth rate, 50-70' in 30-50 years. Long-lived, at least 400-600 years, up to 1,200 yrs.
Native Range
Kentucky Native — Native from Delaware to Florida, west to southern Indiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. Even found in southwestern Kentucky counties. Introduced in 1640.
Flower and Fruit Details
Flowers monoecious, male in drooping panicles 4-5" long, female cones subglobose. Fruits in globular or ovoid cones, 0.5-1.5" across, short-stalked, green to purple, resinous when young, brown at maturity. The fruits resemble a 1" globe of the world, and mature in one year.
Leaf and Bark Features
Deciduous: Leaves resembling soft needles, 0.07" wide and 0.33-0.75" long, spirally arranged, alternate, 2-ranked, yellow-green in spring, sage green in summer. Summer foliage resembles a short-needled evergreen. Fall color is russet, soft brown to golden-orange to pumpkin-brown. Coloring occurs late, w/ foliage eventually turning brown and falling off. Notable Bark: Bark is reddish-brown, fibrous, strongly buttressed at the base, especially when growing in or near water, w/ "knees" extending upwards out of the ground or water.
Culture and Care
Prefers deep, fine, sandy, acidic, moist, moderately drained sandy loam soils with good moisture content, but adaptable. Also does well in clay soils & wet, poorly-drained sites, including swamps. Somewhat drought tolerant, & does not have to be near water. Compaction-tolerant. Needs full sun. Needs acid soil to prevent chlorosis. Zone 4-11. Good resistance to strong winds, even of hurricane force. Normally not many disease problems, but susceptible to twig blight, cankers, decay, cypress moth, fruit tree leaf roller, gypsy moth, mites (including eriophyids), and galls.
Strengths, Weaknesses, Other Facts
4-season interest: Spring, summer, fall, winter. This is a deciduous conifer. Research has shown that the baldcypress knees function for support in the water, but are not involved in gaseous exchange.
Suggested Uses
Use as an accent tree or specimen in parks or large estates. Often used near ponds, ditches, swamps, rain gardens, or other water features. Could be used as a highway plant or street tree.
Taxa and Plants of this Species at BCA
The following taxa are (or were) represented in the collections at Boone County Arboretum. Additional taxa may be available in the trade that are not included here.
Taxodium distichum 'Cave Hill' // Cave Hill Dwarf Baldcypress
Shrub. Arose as a witch's broom on the species. Globular dwarf plant, with short, gnarly branches, only 3-6' tall and wide after ten years of growth. Slow growing, only 1-6" per year. Medium green to dark green foliage color, with a dense, rounded habit. Deep orange fall color. Good in wet sites, or in pots and containers. Mulch is beneficial. Sometimes grafted up on a standard. Tough and adaptable. Zones 5-8. Resistant to Verticillium Wilt fungus disease.
BS009105Taxodium distichum 'Mickelson' // Shawnee Brave™ Baldcypress
Tree. Narrow, tight pyramidal habit, with a strong central leader, eventually to 50-75' tall and 15-20' wide. Dense foliage. Could be used in a rain garden, or as a street tree or single specimen, or in rows to form an allee or to line a road or long driveway. Summer foliage is deep sage green and mite resistant, changing to a good russet/orange/bronze in the fall. Zones 4-9. Tolerates deer, erosion, clay soil, wet or dry soil, and air pollution.
BT001131 - BT002047 - BT002048 - BT002049Taxodium distichum 'Peve Minaret' // Peve Minaret Bald Cypress
Tree. A dense, dwarf tree with a tight, columnar, compact, upright habit, only 6-10' tall and 2-4' wide, with feathery, fern-like, upswept branches. Creates an interesting texture since the needles are so closely spaced along the stems. The trunk appears unusually wide with age, in proportion to the very narrow, upright habit. Eventually produces a tight cone shape. Zones 4-9. Yellow-green foliage of summer changes to coppery, rusty-brown in the fall before shedding. The papery, reddish bark provides winter interest. Slowly grows in a dense, pyramidal form. Good as an accent or specimen plant, informal screen, in a rain garden or rock garden, or a mass planting. Needs full sun to light shade, in a slightly acid soil.
BT008575Taxodium distichum 'Skyward' // Lindsey's Skyward™ Bald Cypress
Tree. Upright-columnar habit, 20-25' tall, 4-8' wide, narrow, densely branched, with a full canopy of foliage from the base to the top. Prefers full sun to light shade. Zones (4)5-9. Discovered in a seedling planting in 1990 by Robert M. Lindsey in Oklahoma. Observed for 20 years and patented in 2012. Forms a dense, narrow spire with very soft, feathery, rich green summer foliage, changing to coppery-cinnamon hues and holding for weeks in the fall. Tiered, upward-facing branches add elegance and character. Bark is bronze and textured, adding winter interest. Makes a good accent plant or specimen plant for smaller gardens and very wet areas. Has a non-aggressive root system which does not develop surface roots or knees. Good insect and disease resistance.
BT001784 - BT001787Taxodium distichum var. imbricarium // Pondcypress
Tree. Average mature size 70-80' tall (rarely to 100') and 15-20' wide, with a slow to medium growth rate up to 2' per year in youth, averaging 18' in 20 years. Spreading branches, but erect branchlets. This variety was formerly known as Taxodium ascendens. Bark is light brown and deeply furrowed. The small, deciduous branchlets are more erect and upright than on the common baldcypress. Zones (4)5-9(10). Habit is narrow conical to columnar, but with scaffold branches at right angles to trunk. Other differences: fewer "knees", leaves are awl-shaped, 3/8" long, and not spreading, but are curved inward, or held close to the stem ("appressed"). Leaves are bright green, very late to leaf out in the spring, turning rich, orangish-brown in autumn.
BT008506 - BT008507 - BT008508Taxodium distichum var. imbricarium 'Nutans' // Nutans Pond Cypress
Tree. Narrow, conical habit, 30-70' tall, 15-20' wide, with very short horizontal branches, with drooping branchlets. Some branches ascending upwards parallel to the trunk. The smaller branchlets are dense and crowded close to each other, becoming pendulous. Good in a rain garden. Linear, needle-like, soft green leaves turn orange-brown in the fall. Bark is gray-brown. "Nutans" in Latin means "nodding or swaying", in reference to the weeping foliage.
BT001765