bald cypress
Taxodium distichum
GCA Plant of the Year 2000
USDA zones5 to 11
SunHandles full sun to partial shade
WaterHandles moderate to wet soil
Size50 to 70 feet tall20 to 30 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Habit
- Tree
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Bloom color
- Purple
- Foliage color
- Green
- Fall color
- Yes
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) is a tree for specimen planting, rain gardens, and low maintenance landscapes. It is hardy to USDA zone 5, or down to -20°F (-29°C). This plant likes full sun to part shade and average to wet soil of most types. The feathery sage-green leaves turn copper-colored before they fall. Knees often rise from the roots in poorly drained spots. Deer tend to browse other plants first.
Pairs well with Hardy hibiscus, Virginia sweetspire, and Big bluestem.
Native range
AL, AR, FL, GA, and 17 more places. See all 21
AL, AR, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, and VA.