Bald Cypress
Taxodium distichum
- Native to:
- Guatemala, Mexico, United States
Dominicus Johannes Bergsma
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Coniferophyta | - Conifers
- Family:
- Cupressaceae
- Genus:
- Taxodium
- Species:
- Taxodium distichum
- USDA Symbol:
- TADI2
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Tree
- Height:
- 4000 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun,Part Shade
- Drought Tolerance:
- Low
- Bloom Months:
- mar,apr
Wildlife Benefits
- Caterpillars:
- ★★★☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Anacamptodes pergracilis, Cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia), Chloropteryx tepperaria, Coleotechnites apicitripunctella, Coleotechnites variella, Cutina albopunctella, Dasychira grisefacta, Dioryctria pygmaeella, Dominick's tussock moth (Dasychira dominickaria), fir tussock moth (Orgyia detrita), Gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar), Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis), Isoparce cupressi, Northern Pine Tussock Moth (Dasychira plagiata), Perimede erransella, south coastal coneworm moth (Dioryctria ebeli), Southern pine coneworm moth (Dioryctria amatella)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Moths:Bagworm moth (Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis), Cutina distincta, elf emerald (Nemoria elfa), Engrailed (Ectropis crepuscularia), Fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea), Isoparce cupressi, Macaria aequiferaria, White-marked Tussock Moth (Orgyia leucostigma) Butterflies:⚠️Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, waterfowl, small mammals
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Fall Color:
- orange, russet, brown
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Mature trees can survive low-intensity fires due to thick bark and wet site conditions. Resprouts from base if top-killed when young.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, waterlogged clay or loam
- pH:
- 5.0 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist to wet
- Notes:
- native to swampy areas and floodplains
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 30–90 days
- Germination Time:
- 14–60 days
- Notes:
- Seeds require moist stratification and germinate best in saturated or flooded conditions. Light is beneficial for germination.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: Cold stratification for 112 days at 21/18 C or soaking in running water for 21 days followed by stratification for 78 days at 36 F.
Establishment: Seeds can be purchased from Louisiana and other locations. The protocols vary in pre-treatment methods and temperatures, suggesting regional variations may exist.
Source: npn.rngr.net