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Bald Cypress

Taxodium distichum

Other common name(s):

Baldcypress, Common Bald Cypress, Southern Bald Cypress, Deciduous Cypress, Southern Cypress, Swamp Cypress, Red Cypress, White Cypress, Yellow Cypress, Gulf Cypress, Tidewater Red Cypress

Family:

Cupressaceae (Cypress Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Balcones Canyonlands
Floodplains and Low Terraces4, Lower Rio Grande Alluvial Floodplain, Lower Rio Grande Valley, Mid-Coast Barrier Islands and Coastal Marshes, Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Texas-Louisiana Coastal Marshes
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie
Flatwoods, Floodplains and Low Terraces3, Southern Tertiary Uplands, Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Tree

Height

50
to
75
ft.

Spread

20
to
45
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Sand, Loam, Clay, Limestone, Poor Drainage

Light Requirement

Sun, Part Shade

Water Requirement

Medium, High

Native Habitat

Woodland, Wetland or Riparian

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Purple

Bloom Season

Spring

Seasonal Interest

Fall Color, Seeds, Larval Host

Wildlife Benefit

Birds, Small Mammals, Moths

Maintenance

Adapted to riverine habitats. Needs deep soil or poor drainage conditions. Foliage dries up in dry, hot locations. Does not need pruning. Propagation; Seed.

Comments

Majestic tree with ferny foliage that enhances many landscapes. Leaves turn terracotta hues in fall. Larval Host: Bald Cypress Sphinx.
Previous Scientific Name(s): Synonym/s: Taxodium distichum var. nutans

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) Miller, George O., Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas 2nd Ed., 2013, pg 48. 3) Wasowski and Wasowski, Native Texas Plants Landscaping Region by Region, 1991, pg. 320. 4) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=TADI2. 5) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Taxodium+distichum&formsubmit=Search+Terms. 6) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=8242&locationType=County&mapType=Normal, 7) Native and Adapted Landscape Plants, City of Austin and Texas A&M, 2014, 8) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=18041#null

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State Office Phone: 830.997.9272

State Office Address:
Native Plant Society of Texas
PO Box 3017
Fredericksburg, TX 78624

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