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Bald Cypress Tree

Rising tall from dark, murky waters, the bald cypress tree is a stately symbol of the swamp along the Gulf Coast in the United States. Associated with the bayou, Spanish moss, pelicans, egrets and alligators, the bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) is the state tree of Louisiana. Its feathery foliage, wide and buttressed base and irregular crown dominate many southeastern wetlands, and its range extends throughout the southeastern U.S. from southern Delaware to eastern Texas. Bald cypress prefer saturated or seasonally inundated wetland soils, low elevations, flat topography and humid climates; although ornamental species can be cultivated in a variety of climates. While it is a cone bearing member of the coniferous redwood family, it is in fact deciduous, losing its flat, one to two centimeter long needles in the winter, a characteristic that led to it being dubbed the “bald” cypress. (Photo by George Wilson/NurPhoto)

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