Baldcypress
Taxodium distichum
Taxodiaceae - Redwood

Description

Leaves: Linear or needle-like; 1/2" to 3/4" long; spirally or alternately arranged; deciduous; smallest twigs fall off in autumn with needles attached; small twigs and attached needles feather-like; yellow-green in summer turning rust colored in fall.

Twigs/buds: Branch-end or terminal twigs have buds and are not deciduous; lateral or side twigs deciduous with needles still attached. Buds small; round; several overlapping scales.

Flowers/fruit: Monoecious. Fruit a woody cone; round; 3/4" to 1-1/3" diameter; brown; 9 to 15 wrinkled, 4-sided, woody scales that break away when mature; mature in one year; seeds small, 3-winged.

Bark: Thin and scaly to fibrous; red-brown to gray.

Wood: Important; light to dark brown; very durable and rot resistant; used for construction, siding, shingles, etc.

General: Native throughout the southeast U.S. and as far north as southeast Missouri and southern Illinois; not native to Utah. Typically grows in swamps in the South. Can get 1,000 to 2,000 years old in native areas. Shade intolerant. Prefers abundant water, but may survive on drier sites. Deciduous conifer (loses its needles every year).

Landscape Use: This is a very interesting, large, deciduous conifer that has attractive, feathery foliage in summer, nice fall color, and an interesting shape and texture year-round. The fruit also is interesting. Not common in Utah, but will do well in a wide variety of soil conditions. Specimens are doing well on the BYU campus, in Salt Lake City, and on the USU campus in Logan, Utah. Zones 4-9.

Cultivars: 'Apache Chief', 'Fastigiata', 'Monarch of Illinois', 'Pendens', 'Secrest', 'Shawnee Brave'.

Characteristics

---