Taxodium distichum

Baldcypress

Family: Taxodiaceae

Zone: 5-10                             Average Size: 50’H x 25’W

Identification:

-Conical form with stiff, horizontal branches as a young tree, irregular and spreading with age
-Feather-like leaf, ½ to ¾ inch long, usually spreading in a flattened plane, emerald-green in spring, rusty-brown autumn color
-Purple male cones in long, drooping clusters, late summer
-Female cones round, 1” in diameter, green turning brown
-Reddish-brown bark, peeling in strips
-Swollen basal trunk and knees in wet soils

Note: Usually associated with wet, swampy soils, the Baldcypress is adapted to a wide variety of soil types and environments and performs well in urban landscapes. The distinct form, rapid growth of young trees and feather-like foliage make this species popular, but the formation of woody knees can cause problems in mowed areas. Individual specimens with heavy female cone production may also cause litter issues on walkways and parking lots.

Campus Location: Julian C. Miller Hall, southwest corner