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. Provides cover and nesting sites. Seed attract birds and small mammals. 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