Bald Cypress

Arbor Walk #16, Treekeeper ID #1427

This tree is native to wetlands and swamps in the Midwest but is adaptable to urban conditions. Its needlelike foliage turns russet red and drops in the fall.

The Bald Cypress most often grows in swamps and wetlands. These trees are very slow growing, and can live for thousands of years. Often a population of Bald Cypress will be found in what is known as a “Cypress Dome.” This refers to the structure of the taller trees growing in the deepest water, as the smaller ones grow along the edges. This dome like structure creates a hole filled with water in the center, and is important for aquatic wildlife, as it may hold water year round.

More information on the Bald Cypresses in our Arboretum here!

Common NameBald Cypress, Swamp Cypress,
White Cypress, Red Cypress,
Gulf Cypress
Latin NameTaxodium distichum
Indigenous Name(s) 
Cultivar/Variety 
Commercial Name 
Global Distribution
Where to find Arbor Walk #16 on WashU campus
Our Bald Cypress in space
GPS Coordinates

N/A

Percent Concrete

N/A

Distance to Buildings
YearClose Building #1Close Building #2Close Building #3
2020Rudolph Hall, 4.49 mCrow Hall, 16.72 mCompton Hall, 18.80 m
Distance to Other Species
YearClose Species #1Close Species # 2Close Species # 3
2020Bald Cypress, 5.47 mBlackgum, 7.20 mBlackgum, 10.52 m
Our Bald Cypress through time
Standard Measurements
YearHeight (m)DBH (cm)Caliper (m)Crown Diameter N-S (m)Crown Diameter E-W (m)Average Crown Diameter (m)
202016.178638.79.629.579.60
202319.542.910.0212.0511.035
Nests and Pests
YearDescription
2020Completely covered in bagworms
Some light grey lichen on trunk
Green algae on trunk
How to identify a Bald Cypress
Leaf Identification

The leaves of the Bald Cypress are light green and turn a russet red in the fall. The actual leaves are small, linear, and flat on a special structure known as a branchlet. This form creates the appearance of a pinnately compound leaf, but it is not an example of one.

Twig and Bud Identification

Twigs of the Bald Cypress are reddish-brown. The Bald Cypress also has a special kind of twig called a branchlet. The branchlets are green and hold the actual leaves. It looks somewhat like the rachis (main axis) of a pinnately compound leaf, and they also fall off when the leaves do. Sometimes the twigs are called persistent branchlets, and the branchlets are called deciduous branchlets. Buds are not prominent in this species.

Bark Identification

The bark of the Bald Cypress is fibrous with gray outer bark and reddish-brown inner brown. Very old trees will develop scaly bark.

Cone Identification

The cones of the Bald Cypress are globose-shaped (spherical) and composed of woody scales that start out green and eventually turn brown. The cone will disintegrate into multiple seeds. The staminate cone is a drooping, long panicle (strobilus), and the ovulate cone is subglobose-shaped and scaly.

‘Mickelson’ Identification

It has a narrower shape and a denser foliage compared to the native species.

Bald Cypress ID Tips
  • The Bald-cypress is closely related to the Redwood; disregarding the fact that the Bald Cypress is Eastern and the Redwood is confined to the Pacific Coast, the Redwood is easily discernible by its record size (often above 300′), easily double the height of the already tall Bald-cypress (up to 150′).
  • The Bald-cypress can be distinguished from the Dawn Redwood based on the pairing of branchlets; branchlets are arranged oppositely on the Dawn Redwood, but alternately for the Bald-cypress.
  • The Bald-cypress is identifiable from the Pond-cypress by its longer needles and shallower bark furrows between scales on mature trees. The Bald-cypress is also taller, up to 150′.
Relationship of Taxodium distichum to other species in the arboretum
Additional resources on the Bald Cypress

Take a look around Arbor Walk Tree #16