Taxodium distichum Pevé Minaret - Swamp cypress

The Taxodium distichum 'Pevé Minaret' is the attractive dwarf version of the Bald Cypress or Louisiana Cypress, a deciduous and hardy large conifer particularly well adapted to wet to waterlogged soils. This one, with reduced dimensions and slow growth, will be much more suitable for our gardens of modest or medium size while possessing the same ornamental qualities as its elder. It will be appreciated for its feathery, light, tapered, soft to the touch foliage, and a very fresh green that turns into magnificent autumnal shades of red rust and then brown-gold before falling. In the garden or in a pot on the terrace, it will be satisfied with ordinary soil, deep and remaining moist, and a sunny exposure.

The Bald Cypress is native to the swampy regions of the southeastern United States, areas bordering the Gulf of Mexico. As the emblematic tree of Louisiana, it is considered in North America as the symbol of the southern marshes. This conifer of the Taxodiaceae family forms a tall tree of nearly 40 m (131ft) in height, with a trunk of 2 m (7ft) in diameter in its natural environment. Under European climates, it maintains a very beautiful pyramidal habit, but will not exceed 20 to 25 m (66 to 82ft) in height and 7 to 8 m (23 to 26ft) in width. Its growth is quite rapid, and it can live up to 500 years.

The cultivar 'Pevé Minaret', on the other hand, will only reach 3 m (10ft) in height and 1 m (3ft) in width after many years. This small tree is called 'bald' due to its deciduous foliage, an unusual feature among conifers, apart from larches and sequoias. The light, graceful, and flexible foliage is composed of small, light green, flat and pointed leaves, arranged in spirals on the branches but twisted at their base, giving the impression that they are arranged in two flattened rows. They measure from 1 to 1.6 cm (1in) in length and take on magnificent autumnal hues before falling. The trunk is covered with a reddish-brown bark with a fibrous appearance, deeply wrinkled and cracked with age. When the tree grows in marshy or flooded land, it produces specific aerial roots, called respiratory roots. These lignified protrusions emerge from the ground or water at the base of the trunk. They seem to play a role in oxygenating the root system, as well as anchoring the tree in unstable and regularly submerged soils. The Louisiana Cypress is a monoecious species: male and female cones coexist on the same individual. The resinous female cones are round, purplish in color when mature, and 2.5 cm (1in) wide. The seeds are dispersed by water.

The Taxodium distichum 'Pevé Minaret' is a very ornamental small conifer, easy to grow in any fresh and deep soil. It will be cultivated as an ornamental tree in medium to small-sized gardens, but also in a large container on the terrace or balcony. Planted alone in the center of a low bed or near a pond, it will express its full potential as a specimen tree. It shows a more harmonious development when grown in sheltered conditions, without excessive competition. Associate it with shrubs or perennials that appreciate the same growing conditions: Acorus gramineus, Astilbes, two species of ferns like Onoclea sensibilis, in neutral to acidic and moist soil, in sun to partial shade, and Dryopteris palustris (Telypteris palustris), ideal in shoreline or marsh scenes, in light shade or sun.

Uses: The wood of the Bald Cypress, very hard and decay-resistant, resistant to termites, is used locally in carpentry and appreciated as a construction material. Its shredded bark is used as a mulching material in horticulture.

Tips: Water regularly during the first two years, and in case of prolonged drought.