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Native Plant Society of Texas

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

This map uses data from the US EPA. EPA  servers have been offline frequently so maps may not display. We are working on a solution.

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)

Clay, Limestone, Loam, Moist, Poor Drainage, Sand

Light Requirement

Sun, Part Shade

Water Requirement

Medium, High

Native Habitat

Riparian, Wetland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Purple

Bloom Season

Spring

Seasonal Interest

Fall Color, Larval Host, Nesting Material, Seeds

Wildlife Benefit

Birds, Moths, Small Mammals

Maintenance

A slow growing, majestic tree with ferny foliage that enhances many landscapes. Needs deep soil or poor drainage conditions. Foliage turns brown in dry, hot locations. When planning your planting, make sure there’s enough room for its impressive root system to develop. Leaves turn terracotta hues in fall. Does not need pruning. Bald cypress diffuse and slow floodwaters, reducing flood damage. They also trap sediments and pollutants. Native habitat: swamps, stream banks.

Description

Blooms April. A deciduous conifer. Begins as a slender, conical form, becoming flat-topped with age. The tapering trunk is slightly buttressed at the swollen base. “Knees” develop from roots mostly in poorly drained situations. Exfoliating bark is red-brown to silver. Feathery, sage green leaves. Pollen cones: usually hang downward in loose, branched inflorescences. Seed cones occur near ends of twigs, green to purple, becoming brown, almost spherical. The thin, woody, four-angled scales produce one to two, three-angled seeds. Larval host: Bald Cypress Sphinx Moth.
Previous Scientific Name(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 9) https://gardentask.uk/bald-cypress-taxodium-distichum/#:~:text=Learn%20How%20to%20Propagate%20the,and%20humid%20environment%20is%20ideal.

Learn about how to propagate Texas native plants.

Material Treatment Method Collection References
Seed Scarification Seed sowing is generally recommended in spring. Soak the seeds in hot water for 24 hours beforehand – this helps speed up germination. The seedlings grow a long taproot and therefore need to be planted in a deep container to avoid root deformation. The seedlings have 3 to 9 (most often 6) cotyledons and are capable of very rapid growth usually reaching 75 to 100 cm (30 to 40 in) in height during their first full growing season. Plants should be moved to their permanent positions during the dormant season. Seeds should be collected in the fall. 1) https://gardentask.uk/bald-cypress-taxodium-distichum/#:~:text=Learn%20How%20to%20Propagate%20the,and%20humid%20environment%20is%20ideal. 2) https://earthone.io/plant/taxodium%20distichum 3) https://www.treeseedonline.com/store/p105/Swamp_Cypress_%28taxodium_distichum%29.html#:~:text=Several%20different%20methods%20are%20possible,positions%20during%20the%20dormant%20season.
Stem Cutting Cuttings root quite easily. It’s important to provide suitable conditions: a warm and humid environment is ideal. Choose fresh shoots in early summer. 1) https://gardentask.uk/bald-cypress-taxodium-distichum/#:~:text=Learn%20How%20to%20Propagate%20the,and%20humid%20environment%20is%20ideal. 2) https://earthone.io/plant/taxodium%20distichum
Seed Stratification Store the seed cold and moist over winter - best mixed in damp sand and kept at +1 or +2°C. Then sow in spring, either indoors in a pot, or outdoors after the risk of frost is over. They are not too fussy over soil type, silty is perhaps best but it won't make a lot of difference. No fertilizer needed. The seedlings grow a long taproot and therefore need to be planted in a deep container to avoid root deformation. The seedlings have three to 9 (most often six) cotyledons and are capable of very rapid growth, usually reaching 75 to 100 cm (30 to 40 in) in height during their first full growing season. Plants should be moved to their permanent positions during the dormant season. Seeds should be collected in the fall. 1) https://forums.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/threads/bald-cypress-taxodium-distichum-seeds.46370/ 2) https://earthone.io/plant/taxodium%20distichum 3) https://www.treeseedonline.com/store/p105/Swamp_Cypress_%28taxodium_distichum%29.html#:~:text=Several%20different%20methods%20are%20possible,positions%20during%20the%20dormant%20season.

About the Region

2026 Fall Symposium Logo

This low-elevations region of Texas extends inland from the barrier islands, about 60 or so miles, and stretches from Brownsville to Louisiana. In total, it covers about 9.5 million acres, with a high point of 150 feet in elevation. More than 1000 species of plants can be found in this region. On the southern end, species more common in Mexico (such as Sabal mexicana) and Central America occur.

The barrier islands provide us with dune systems, and clay flats to the inland side, which have species found in these areas alone. Many plants here, such as Ipomoea pes-caprae (beach morning glory), can be found throughout tropical regions of the globe. I’ve encountered the same species on the beaches of Guam.

Once inland, vast marshes and wet prairies occur. Occasionally, oak (Quercus fusiformis) groves can be found. Common grasses include species of Bothriochloa, Paspalum, and Sporobolus; eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides); and switchgrass (Panicum species). Many rivers and creeks cut through the Gulf Prairies, and along these riparian areas various species of trees, Sabal minor, and other plants adapted to clay soils can be found. Due to overgrazing, farming, and fire suppression, woody species such as mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and huisache (Acacia farnesiana), and invasive species such as chinaberry (Melia azedarach), Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), and Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) have increased and displaced our native flora.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason