Taxodium distichum 'Baldcypress'

Baldcypress is a long-lived, deciduous wetland species that grows along rivers, streams, and creeks as well as in swamps with slow moving water. It can live up to 600 years old. It is a legendary tree of the Deep South known for its knees, moss-draped crown, and buttressed trunk. It occurs in the coastal plains along the Gulf and the Atlantic Ocean and north up through the Mississippi River Valley. Because of the unique shape of the base of each trunk, artists have created clocks, furniture, and wall décor from the cross-sections of this tree. In the landscaping industry, baldcypress is planted for its ornamental beauty. Old-growth heartwood is especially desired in the timber industry for its durability and resistance to rot. However, lumber use has declined because it is a slow-growing tree, it is harvested from wetlands, and the population of mature trees is much smaller than in the past. Baldcypress is also a wonderful variety for use in bonsai culture.