Description
Latin: Taxodium distichum
Zones: 4-10
Other common names: baldcypress, common bald-cypress, gulf cypress, red cypress, tidewater red cypress, white cypress, yellow cypress, cypress, swamp cypress
Mature Height: 100-125 ft. Medium growth rate of 13-24″ per year in ideal conditions.
Soil / Climate: common in swampland, but not confined to it. Bald Cypress does well in extremely wet condtions, even swamps. Although it grows best in warm climates, larger trees are able to tolerate much lower temperatures and lower humidities.
Notes: Deciduous conifer. Attractive fern-like foliage. Distinctive shade tree for parks, groves, and estates. Has globelike cones. Developes cypress “knees” in wet conditions (only tree to develop knees). In the 1700’s Bald Cypress were used to make giant canoes and water pipes.
Wildlife: Bald Cypress seeds provide food for squirrels and other wildlife. Wood ducks build nests in the trunks while Eagles build nests in the canopies of Bald Cypress. Used as breeding grounds for frogs and toads.
Cold Stream Farm supplies Bald Cypress trees which are grown as bare root seedlings and transplants and sold both wholesale and retail with no minimum order.
Additional information on Bald Cypress can be found on the link: USDA / NRCS plants database.
Deborah Simmons –
I purchased 25 bare root cypress seedlings each about the size of a chopstick from Cold Stream Farm. They arrived a couple months later, shipping as soon as they went into dormancy with a few brown leaves still attached. I planted them the day I received them into the bank along the edge of our creek. Three months passed with no further attention from me, though the roots are touching the water table. The trunks retain their healthy reddish color, and they are getting the bumpy texture that suggests spring leaves will be bursting out before long. I have planted a lot of cypress and struggled to get the trees established. These are just wonderful.
Bill Elasky –
I ordered 25 one-two foot bald cypress trees. When they came, most were at least 18 inches tall. I planted them on a “bottom” field. At one point, they were under 6-8 feet of water for several days. Several were accidently cut down when my neighbor mowed the field. I did water them fairly often, since the summer was dry and very hot. ALL are currently alive and doing well. I also ordered 25 river birch trees, all which are also doing very well. I’ve been very impressed and have ordered more trees to plant this year. I was in touch a couple times with questions, which were answered very promptly.
Steve Mims –
Purchased six 2′ to 3′ trees two years ago. They are now in the 6′ to 7′ range & would be larger if the deer hadn’t reached over my wire cages & trimmed them last winter. Beautiful trees & growing in wet areas I couldn’t get spruce or white pines to grow in. I will be adding more.
S. Miller –
Planted 25 2-3’ cypress trees three years ago in Ohio. 20 are still doing well. 6 trees are now over 6’ tall and beautiful. Plan on adding 25 more to our cypress grove in 2021. I hope my grandkids will enjoy them in years to come.
Great doing business with Cold Stream Farm.
Steve Mims –
Purchased six trees 2′ to 3′ tall two years ago. They all have doubled in size & the trunks are huge. Deer love them so mine are in wire cages. If you have a wet field or area in need of fast growing trees you need to give these a try.
Matt Shortway –
Very impressed with these trees. I ordered 25 3-4′, planted 60% in December and used Tubex protectors. Those trees are so full of green now, you can’t see down to the base. The other 40% sat in my garage for 2 months, then in a cooler for a month. Life got busy on me, but ALL have now budded out. They’re planted along a river bank where cypress are native(Zone 8). Next time I’ll have the holes dug as they ship, but couldn’t be happier with them.
Alexei Orlov –
I ordered 25 bald of 2″ seedlings in the spring of 2022, 24 of them survived and grew by about a foot over the summer. Excellent trees. Beware of the deer as they consider these cypresses as a nice snack!
Alexei Orlov –
I ordered 25 of 2 ft seedlings in the spring of 2022, 24 of them survived and grew by about a foot over the summer. Excellent trees. Beware of the deer as they consider these cypresses as a nice snack!
Eric Williams –
I have planted 14 bald cypress from CSF in very wet soil here in southern New England. Yes, it is Louisiana’s state tree, but it can grow well far outside the southern states. Some of my saplings are growing well, some less so. However, the fault is mine as I haven’t found sites with good (6+ hours) sunlight. Beech leaf disease has come with startling speed and awful strength here in southern New England. I plan to put bald cypresss in wet spots to fill in the forest where beech have dies (beech generally grows well in good soil, but BLD may do for that tree what the blight did to the chestnut). Our white ash and hemlock are also threatened, as you may know. Many thanks to CSF for their young trees of so many kinds!