Common Name: Bald Cypress
Scientific Name: Taxodium distichum
Order: Arecales
Family: Cupressaceae
Wetland Plant Status: Obligatory
Ecology & Description Bald cypress needs water to thrive. It can be found naturally on the banks of a water body or in the center of the water. When planted, it can survive more upland. The cypress tree grows very slowly and will die if submerged in water. It is a slow growing, long-lived deciduous conifer. The trees frequently get over 100 feet tall with a diameter of 6 feet. The trunk is normally tapered. The leaves are needle-like but appear flattened. The bark is very thin and fibrous with narrow furrows. The bald cypress produces cone fruit and cypress knees.
Habitat Bald cypress trees are confined to wet soils were water is almost permanent. It is usually found on flat elevations.
Distribution Bald cypress is widely distributed along the Atlantic Coast and Gulf Coast, but can be found inland along streams.
Native/Invasive Status Bald cypress is native to lower 48 states of the United States.
Wildlife Uses Squirrels and many different bird species use the seeds as food. Bald cypress domes also create watering holes for a variety of birds and mammals. Amphibians and reptiles will also use bald cypress domes as breeding grounds.
Management & Control Techniques When regenerating cypress, canopy thinning is a must. Overhead thinning will allow for seedlings to grow. The seedling cannot be submerged in water. Seedlings cannot germinate in flooded areas. The seedling must be somewhat taller than the floodwaters for survival. Good seed production occurs about every three years and is dispersed better with flood waters. Bald cypress can get a type of rot caused by the fungus Stereum taxodi. Insects like Malacosma disstria (Forest Tent Caterpillar) and Archips argyrospila (fruit-tree leafroller) will build nests, causing leaves to die, leading to eventual death of the tree. Reference United States Department of Agriculture. 2002. Bald Cypress Fact Sheet. Online.
This document was authored by Shana Mullins, School of Forestry, Louisiana Tech University, March 2015.