Bald CypressTaxodium distichum

Conifers Meridan Tapert

Environmental Science & Natural Resources October 31st, 2014

Hardiness Zone

•4-9

Plant Type • Conifer • Cypress• Tree • “Bald”

Deciduous!

Geographical Origin • Native to the southeastern swamps, bayous and

rivers• Found in coastal areas from Maryland to Texas

and in the lower Mississippi River valley • North as the southeast corner of Missouri

Height & Spread • 50 – 70 feet high • 25 – 45 feet wide

Sun Exposure • Full Sun

Water Requirements • Medium to Wet• Directly in swampy water in the South• Drier, upland soils in cultivation • “Flared / Knobby Trunks”

Site Requirements • Easily grown in average, medium to wet, moisture

retentive soils• Prefers moist, acidic, sandy soils• Will tolerate a wide range of soil conditions from

wet to dry

Maintenance • Low maintenance

Noteworthy Characteristics

• Long lived• Native • Cone-bearing • Orange / Cinnamon Brown in fall • Bare in winter • State tree of Louisiana • Flat Needles

Problems • No serious insect or disease problems• Chlorosis (insufficient chlorophyll) can occurs in

alkaline soils• Bagworms, gall mites and spider mites are

occasional insect pests • Twig blight is an occasional disease pest

Landscape Uses• For parks or large lawns• Good selection for growing in wet soils either in

low spots or near water• Recommended for use in a rain garden

References • http://

www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=m510