Habit
The baldcypress is an intriguing tree, 100-150 feet in height, 3-6 or more feet in diameter. It develops a heavily buttressed, excessively tapered, and commonly fluted bole. The crown is open and narrowly pyramidal. Old trees are characterized by a more nearly cylindrical bole and irregular, often ragged, flat-topped crown that is often laden with Spanish moss. This tree has a very distinctive root system which consists of numerous "sinkers" that provide anchorage, which are supported by a wide-spreading, lateral system of shallow roots. From the lateral roots arise peculiar, cone-like structures commonly known as "knees". The purpose of these knees remains a mystery, but scientists believe that these structures provide structural support.
Leaves are linear and deciduous, a
rare feature among conifers. Leaves are 1/2-3/4 inch long, 2-ranked,
and are yellow-green in color.
Flowers
The male clusters are purplish-brown.
Females are solitary or in clusters.
Fruit
The cones are 3/4-1 inch in diameter,
with club-shaped, leathery, yellowish-brown scales. Seeds are irregularly
3-angled and 3-winged.
Twigs
The terminal twigs are light green
through the growing season, becoming reddish-brown during the winter.
Bark
The bark is fibrous, scaly, or commonly
peeling off in long, thin strips. It is reddish-brown, but is often
weathered to an ashy gray.
Habitat
The baldcypress is typically a tree
of permanent swamps and river channels and floodplains, where it occurs
in extensive pure stands or occasionally with water tupelo. On somewhat
higher ground it is found with bottomland hardwoods such as American elm,
red maple, green ash, sweetgum, and some oaks. It grows best on deep,
moist, sandy loams, but it is rarely found on such sites because of its
inability to compete with hardwoods. It is found on the Atlantic
and Gulf coastal plains, in the lower Mississippi River Valley, and in
the bottomlands of adjacent drainages.
Use
The wood of this tree is very durable and is used in the construction of docks, bridges, silos, tanks, caskets, and general millwork. The resin extracted from the cones is used locally as an analgesic for lesions of the skin. The knees are sometimes fashioned into wooden novelties. The baldcypress is infrequently planted as an ornamental.
Query
the USDA Plant Database
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The pondcypress is very similar to baldcypress, except that it does not attain the grandeur or widespread occurrence of baldcypress. It is readily distinguished by its scale-like leaves, which appear to be more ascending in form than the leaves of baldcypress.
Leaves are linear and deciduous, a
rare feature among conifers. Leaves are 1/2-3/4 inch long and have
a scale-like appearance, appressed along the twigs in several ranks.
They appear somewhat similar to the leaves of the plants in the cedar family.
Flowers
The male clusters are purplish-brown.
Females are solitary or in clusters.
Fruit
The cones are 3/4-1 inch in diameter,
with club-shaped, leathery, yellowish-brown scales. Seeds are irregularly
3-angled and 3-winged.
Twigs
The terminal twigs are light green
through the growing season, becoming reddish-brown during the winter.
Bark
The bark is fibrous, scaly, or commonly
peeling off in long, thin strips. It is reddish-brown, but is often
weathered to an ashy gray.
Habitat
The pondcypress is found in shallow
ponds with still water, from the Dismal Swamp of Virginia to Florida and
Alabama.
Use
The pondcypress has similar uses as those of baldcypress.
Query
the USDA Plant Database