Grant Plant Pick: Bald Cypress

  • Tuesday, November 17, 2015 4:18pm
  • Life

What: Bald cypress, or Taxodium distichum, evokes the essence of the deep south. Few would think that a tree from the swamplands of the steamy southeastern U.S. would do so well in our Northwest gardens. It is one of a handful of deciduous conifers, in autumn its needles turn rusty-gold before they fall. This reveals bald cypress’s shaggy red-brown bark, which adds interest to the winter garden. In spring the new growth is bright green and this fresh colors lasts throughout summer. Its needles have a soft, feathery appearance and move gracefully with each breeze. It is tolerant of a wide range of soil conditions but prefers a location that is moist or receives some summer watering. It can even be planted in standing water. The famous cypress “knees” that develop in southern swamps can be seen in a Pacific Northwest context around the perimeter of VanDusen Botanical Garden’s Cypress Pond. Those trees were planted in 1975, their knees are about a foot high. Near them, in garden beds, grow other bald cypresses that have not developed knees. Interestingly, Taxodium grew here in the Miocene and Pliocene eras, their needles have been found in fossils east of the Cascade Mountains in Washington and in B.C.

Where: This choice tree thrives in average to heavy clay soils and tolerates sodden soils, something few other trees tolerate. In drier sites it appreciates some water during summer dry spells. As pictured, it looks wonderful surrounding a low-lying pond.

Size: Reaches a height of 20 feet with a spread of 12 feet.

GreatPlantPicks.org

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Sarah Jean Muncey-Gordon puts on some BITCHSTIX lip oil at Bandbox Beauty Supply on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Langley, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Bandbox Beauty was made for Whidbey Island locals, by an island local

Founder Sarah Muncey-Gordon said Langley is in a renaissance, and she’s proud to be a part of it.

A stroll on Rome's ancient Appian Way is a kind of time travel. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves on the Appian Way, Rome’s ancient superhighway

Twenty-nine highways fanned out from Rome, but this one was the first and remains the most legendary.

Byrds co-founder Roger McGuinn, seen here in 2013, will perform April 20 in Edmonds. (Associated Press)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

R0ck ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Roger McGuinn, frontman of The Byrds, plans a gig in Edmonds in April.

Mother giving in to the manipulation her daughter fake crying for candy
Can children be bribed into good behavior?

Only in the short term. What we want to do is promote good habits over the course of the child’s life.

Speech Bubble Puzzle and Discussion
When conflict flares, keep calm and stand your ground

Most adults don’t like dissension. They avoid it, try to get around it, under it, or over it.

The colorful Nyhavn neighborhood is the place to moor on a sunny day in Copenhagen. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves: Embrace hygge and save cash in Copenhagen

Where else would Hans Christian Andersen, a mermaid statue and lovingly decorated open-face sandwiches be the icons of a major capital?

Last Call is a festured artist at the 2024 DeMiero Jazz Festival: in Edmonds. (Photo provided by DeMiero Jazz Festival)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Jazz ensemble Last Call is one of the featured artists at the DeMiero Jazz Festival on March 7-9 in Edmonds.

Kim Helleren
Local children’s author to read at Edmonds Bookshop

Kim Helleren will read from one of her books for kids at the next monthly Story Time at Edmonds Bookshop on March 29.

Chris Elliott
Lyft surprises traveler with a $150 cleaning charge

Jared Hakimi finds a $150 charge on his credit card after a Lyft ride. Is that allowed? And will the charge stick?

Inside Elle Marie Hair Studio in Smokey Point. (Provided by Acacia Delzer)
The best hair salon in Snohomish County

You voted, we tallied. Here are the results.

The 2024 Kia EV9 electric SUV has room for up to six or seven passengers, depending on seat configuration. (Photo provided by Kia)
Kia’s all-new EV9 electric SUV occupies rarified air

Roomy three-row electric SUVs priced below 60 grand are scarce.

2023 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE Premium AWD (Photo provided by Toyota)
2023 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE Premium AWD

The compact SUV electric vehicle offers customers the ultimate flexibility for getting around town in zero emission EV mode or road-tripping in hybrid mode with a range of 440 miles and 42 mile per gallon fuel economy.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.