Taxodium distichum seeds - Swamp cypress

Known as the Bald Cypress, Swamp Cypress or Louisiana Cypress, Taxodium distichum is a very hardy, large, deciduous conifer, particularly suited to wet and waterlogged soils. It is characterised by the presence of respiratory roots when growing in waterlogged soil. Its straight and slender trunk is covered in reddish-brown, deeply fissured bark. Its fine, flexible foliage is a soft green in spring and takes on beautiful colours in autumn. Sowing from seed is an interesting propagation method, but it requires cold stratification to break their dormancy.

Native to the marshlands of the southeastern United States and the coastal areas of the Gulf of Mexico, the Bald Cypress is an emblem of Louisiana and a symbol of the North American southern marshes. In its natural habitat, it can reach nearly 40 m in height with a trunk 2 m in diameter. In our climate, it retains an elegant pyramidal shape, but its size is generally limited to 20-25 m in height with a spread of 7-8 m. It grows quite rapidly and can live up to 500 years. This conifer owes its nickname "bald" to its deciduous foliage, a rarity among conifers, which is also found in larches and some sequoias. Its fine, flattened, pointed, 1 to 1.6 cm long leaves are arranged spirally on the shoots. Their slightly twisted base appears to be aligned in two flat ranks. In autumn, they turn rust and golden brown before falling. The bark of the Bald Cypress is fibrous, reddish, and deeply fissured with age. When the tree grows in marshy or flooded terrain, it develops its famous respiratory roots, which can reach 1.7 m in height. These aerial structures are thought to have a dual role: improving root oxygenation and stabilising the tree in loose, submerged soils. The Louisiana Cypress is a monoecious species, bearing both male and female cones on the same individual. The latter are resinous and purplish when ripe and measure about 2.5 cm in diameter. The seeds are dispersed mainly by water.

In a large garden, the Bald Cypress displays its slender, ever-changing silhouette through the seasons. It reflects in the calm waters of a pond and stands imposingly on the banks of a sinuous stream. This conifer anchors itself in the landscape as a link between land and water. Plant near delicate ferns such as Onoclea sensibilis and Thelypteris palustris. Beside it, Nyssa sylvatica 'Autumn Cascade' provides a counterpoint in autumn, blending its incandescent red with the coppery tones of the Cypress. Further away, clumps of Iris versicolor will punctuate the scene with a very bright green.