Bald Cypress
Arbor Walk #37, Treekeeper ID #2507
The Bald Cypress is the state tree of Louisiana. Despite its resemblance to a needled evergreen tree in the summer, it is actually deciduous. Although it’s a familiar sight around swampy areas in the Deep South, the tree is tolerant of a wide range of soil conditions and does well even in drier, upland soils. It can be natively found in low-lying wetland areas throughout the lower Mississippi River Valley – including as far north as the southeastern corner of Missouri. In submerged or wet soils, Bald Cypresses will grow “knees” called pneumatophores — specialized roots that allow waterlogged roots below to receive air.
The ‘Mickelson’ is a cultivar of the Bald Cypress, and has a narrower shape and denser foliage than the native species.
More information on the Bald Cypresses in our Arboretum here!
| Common Names | Bald Cypress, Swamp Cypress, White Cypress, Red Cypress, Gulf Cypress |
|---|---|
| Latin Name | Taxodium distichum |
| Indigenous Name(s) | |
| Cultivar/Variety | ‘Mickelson’ |
| Commercial Name | SHAWNEE BRAVE |
Global Distribution
*This map represents the distribution of wild Bald Cypress, not necessarily where the ‘Mickelson’ cultivar is derived from or found.
GPS Coordinates
N/A
Percent Concrete
N/A
Distance to Buildings
| Year | Close Building #1 | Close Building #2 | Close Building #3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Seigle Hall, 12.27 m | Simon Hall, 71.28 m | Athletic Complex, 144.58 m |
Distance to Other Species
| Year | Close Species #1 | Close Species # 2 | Close Species # 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Littleleaf Linden, 7.15 m | Littleleaf Linden, 7.56 m | Bald Cypress, 9.64 m |
Standard Measurements
| Year | Height (m) | DBH (cm) | Crown Diameter N-S (m) | Crown Diameter E-W (m) | Average Crown Diameter (m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 5.6986 | 9.4 | 2.26 | 2.54 | 2.40 |
| 2023 | 8.62 | 16.7 | 2.8 | 3.23 | 3.015 |
Nests and Pests
| Year | Description |
|---|---|
| 2020 | Several bagworms with twigs surrounding their coccoons |
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′.
