A bald cypress tree is a good yard tree although they are messy in the fall when they drop their needles.
Bald cypress trees should be pruned in autumn or early spring.
The bald cypress tree tends to produce a lot of new buds on the trunk, forks and branches.
And all of the buds which are not useful for the design of the bald cypress tree should be removed at an early stage.
You can plant a bald cypress tree close to a house but the bald cypress tree should be planted at least 15 feet away from a house or other buildings.
A bald cypress tree can survive cold temperatures of down to -20 F to -29 F which means they can grow in a wide climatic range.
Bald cypress roots spread as far as 20 to 50 feet before the roots bend down and they develop a taproot under ideal soil conditions and a horizontal root that lies just below the surface that extends 20 to 50 feet.
A bald cypress tree needs at least 15 to 20 feet of space apart to grow properly.
When planting bald cypress trees you should be sure to plant the bald cypress trees so that they are a minimum of 15 feet apart but 20 feet apart is better.
The little balls on a bald cypress tree are bald cypress cones.
The bald cypress tree produces these cones every year in varying amounts, although only every 3 years to 5 years do they actually produce a lot of viable seeds.
Bugs that cypress trees attract are spruce spider mites, cypress bark beetles and cypress weevils.
Bald cypress trees grow best in wet, swampy soils of floodplain lakes and also along riparian corridors.
The bald cypress tree can be found in the eastern states, the west states and as far as central Texas.
The bald cypress trees needles do turn brown in winter and drop.
Bald cypress trees are also sensitive to drought and if the soil dries out too long then the bald cypress tree foliage betrays their stress by turning brown and dropping like it was fall.
The 3 characteristics of a bald cypress tree are they are deciduous conifer trees that lose their leaves in the fall, they are covered in brown or gray bark with long fiber like or scaly ridges which peel off in strips and the cones are made of several four angled, scales that are flattened.
Also the limbs of a bald cypress tree are usually draped with Spanish moss.
Bald cypress trees are messy as they lose their needle like leaves in the fall after they turn a brilliant copper color.
Bald cypress trees do lose their leaves in the winter even though they are considered an evergreen tree.
Bald cypress trees grow as fast as 40 feet to 50 feet in 15 to 10 years.
The bald cypress tree grows 1.5'-2' per year and can reach a height of 60-70 feet at maturity.
However, in the Florida Everglades, they have been found at over 120' tall and 500 years old.
Growing best in humid climates, the Bald Cypress also thrives in warm, dry areas as well.
The bald cypress trees are hardy in Zones 4-10 and they reach a mature height of 60 feet to 80 feet and a spread of 20 to 25 feet.
Because they are essentially water loving trees, Bald Cypresses are sensitive to drought.
If the bald cypress trees soil dries out for too long a period, their foliage betrays their stress by turning brown and dropping as if it were fall.
To the surprise of many, the bald cypress does quite well when planted in the right soil in yards or along streets and is a beautiful specimen tree.
It has been grown successfully in cities as far north as Milwaukee and on dry Texas hills.
Bald cypresses have very important roles in the wild. Since they tend to grow along rivers and in wetlands, they are excellent at soaking up floodwaters and preventing erosion.
They also trap pollutants and prevent them from spreading.
Frogs, toads, and salamanders use bald cypress swamps as breeding grounds.
Bald cypress prefers a moist environment and demands a lot of water, but can tolerate occasional drought.
Watering the bald cypress tree is not necessary if planted in a water bank, but it is important to ensure an adequate supply of water in dry locations, especially when the tree is young.
Bald cypress trees produces cone fruit, and there are approximately 5,200 seeds per pound.
They develop a taproot as well as horizontal roots that lie just below the surface and extend 20 to 50 feet before bending down.
Larger shade trees like Live Oak, Mexican Oak, Cedar Elm, Mexican Sycamore and Bald Cypress are seldom severely damaged by our deer, but may need temporary protection until established.
Most bald cypress trees live up to 600 years, but some individuals have survived 1,200 years.
Bald cypress trees provide habitat for many species.
The bald cypress gets its name from its “bald” appearance in winter.
It is related to the redwoods and sequoias that grow in California.
Even though they are conifers, bald cypress trees are not evergreen.
They lose their leaves every autumn and grow new ones in spring.
Leyland Cypress trees tend to be low maintenance trees.
For the first six weeks you will need to water them 2-3 times a week.
After this, time the tree will become established and you will only need to water as needed.
Prune in mid-summer to maintain its shape.