Taxodium distichum

A large, deciduous tree with a tapering trunk, buttressed at its base usually surrounded with knees, structures arising from the roots. Young branches are green, becoming brown the first winter and bear feathery, compound leaves. Similar to Taxodium ascendens but has needles that point upward and is more likely to produce knees. Leaflets lay flat.

Animals that eat its seeds: Gadwall duck, Common mallard duck, Florida crane (Martin et al. 1951).

Found in swamps and along rivers and streams throughout Louisiana and east Texas. It ranges from Delaware to Florida, and west to Texas. "Cypre" is the Acadian term for the Bald Cypress. "Boscoyos" or "boscoillots" is the French term for cypress knees (Holmes 1990).

Swamps, along rivers and streams, brackish water, cultivated in upland areas.

Bald cypress is moderately heavy, moderately hard, moderately strong, and moderately stiff. The heartwood has outstanding durability qualities under conditions favorable to decay. It does not impart taste, odor, or color to food products. Sapwood splits and checks badly, and is not resistant to decay. Bald cypress heartwood is used extensively in building construction, especially where high decay-resistance is required. It's used in warehouses, docks, factories, and bridges. It's favored for greenhouses, stadium seats, cooling towers, and commercial installations that have high humidity. Other uses are for caskets, sash, doors, interior trim, millwork, paneling, and for containers such as boxes, crates, vats, tanks, and tubs. Heartwood is also used for wooden boats, river pilings, and fencing.