Bald Cypress

Common Names

• Swamp Cypress
• White Cypress
• Tidewater Red Cypress
• Gulf Cypress
• Red Cypress

Scientific Names

• Taxodium distichum
• Cupressaceae family

History of
the Tree Species

• Largest remaining old growth is at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary near Naples, FL, and in Three Sisters tract along the Black River in NC.
• These corkscrew trees are around 500 years old.
• Dendrochronologist David Stahle from the University of Arkansas cored the Black River trees in 1985, finding that some began growing as early as 364 AD.
• In 2019, Stahle dated one tree to 605 B.C., making it the 9th-oldest known tree on Earth.
• Designated the official state tree of Louisiana in 1963.

Scientific Facts

• Most commonly used today as an ornamental tree
• Wood has long been used for construction and carving
• Not edible
• Aztecs used resin from burnt bark to treat burns and sores
• More recently, leaves and seeds have been used to treat malaria and liver diseases
• Parts of the tree have also been used to prepare ointments and infusions for heart disease, hemorrhoids, gout, ulcers, etc.