Latin name - Taxodium distichum

Why’s It Called “Bald” Cypress?

Unlike other conifers, Bald Cypress is NOT an evergreen tree—it’s deciduous! This means the needles will brown and drop in fall, just like your maple or oak tree, lending to the “bald” moniker.

The stringy brown or gray bark is iconic in wetlands across the Southeastern US, often draped with Spanish moss or tillandsias. In your home landscape, cypress will tolerate either a wet or dry location. 

Cypress is slow-growing, but trees can exceed 600 years of age and boast rot-resistant heartwood that was once prized for use in caskets, flooring, and boats.

If you have a low spot in your yard, a cypress tree can help to prevent erosion and soak up floodwaters. Cypress are also known to trap pollutants, redoubling their value in the landscape.

Make sure you mark the elevated roots or “knees” of the cypress to avoid mowing or tripping. This specially-designed root system of “pneumatophores” is thought to aerate drowned portions of the root system.

Bald Cypress is native to the Southeastern US and thrives in coastal plains and on riverbanks/swamps. Unsurprisingly, Bald Cypress is the state tree of Louisiana.

Aside from its shade and beauty provisions, Bald Cypress is a valuable native plant that’s well-ingrained in the lives of wild creatures. The uncommon-looking cones are a known food source for wildlife such as turkeys, wood ducks, and squirrels. Cypress trees also provide nesting space for ducks, safe brooding space for catfish, frogs, toads, salamanders, and sirens; the treetops are utilized by fishing birds for lookout posts.

Size - up to 120’ Tall, columnar shaped

Notable Characteristics - Full-service station for wildlife

Sunlight Requirements - Full sun, overstory

Cold Hardy Temp - Zones 4-10, can handle temps as low as -25 F

Harvest Season - Harvest cones in October thru December