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If
you ever visit down south, one of the outstanding trees you’ll see,
especially around the swamps and lakes, is the bald cypress. So, I’m always
getting the question, will Baldcypress grow in our area? And the answer
is…yes…and we’ve been growing here for a long time!
This is Taxodium
distichum…or commonly known as Baldcypress. And although its natural range
is in the south, this wonderful tree is hardy enough to be grown as far
north as
Minnesota and
southern Canada.
Granted Baldcypress
enjoys moist soils, but will also adapt to wet, dry or well drained soils.
As a matter of fact, we’re now using Baldcypress as a suggested street
tree!
Baldcypress is a big
tree, so give it plenty of room to grow. Its reddish brown fibrous bark is
very distinctive, along with its sage green needle foliage that turns a nice
orange to pumpkin brown in the fall. That’s right…they loose their needles
in the fall, just like the trees shed their leaves!
And if you’re looking
for something a little different, check out the Pondcypress, or Pond
Baldcypress. Same growing conditions as the regular Baldcypress, and
although Pondcypress can reach 70 feet in height, it’s a narrow tree getting
about 20 feet wide. But here’s what’s so unique about Pondcypress…no
needles! The foliage is a nice green during the season, and turns a
wonderful fox red in the fall.
And what about the
cypress ‘knees” you always see in the swamps? They typically only form when
the Baldcypress is growing in wet areas. Plant them in well drained
soils…usually no knees! |
