Scientific name: Taxodium distichum
Common name: Bald Cypress
Native: Yes
Native range: Native to the coastal and riparian areas of the southeastern and south central United States [1,2,3,4].
Distribution in North America: Click to view the USDA Plants Database page for T. distichum.
USDA Zones: 5A-10B [3]
Maximum age: Commonly lives to between 400-600 years, but it may survive for as long as 1,200 years [4].
Ecology: The seeds are eaten by squirrels and birds. In its native swamps, it branches support Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides), and its domed roots are habitat for frogs, toads, salamanders, and fish [1,2,4].
Ethnobotany: It is frequently used in plantings that require water-tolerant trees, as erosion control, and for rehabilitating polluted soils and watersheds. The lumber is water and rot resistant, making it preferred building material for boats, river pilings and shingles [1,2,4]. The Choctaw use it as a source of fiber for making cordage [5].