Bald Cypress

By Gustavo Ortiz Vega

Environmental Technician

Blad Cypress (Taxodium distichum) is a tree species that just about every Floridian has
heard of, especially those buying lots to build on. But in case you haven’t seen or heard of them yet, they’re a species of conifers spread through the southeastern United States. You can find them as far west as Texas and as up north as New Jersey. They have bright green leaves with a soft and feathery texture, brown/grey bark that has long fiber-like ridges, and a straight trunk.

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Bald Cypress are mostly found and thrive in wet areas such as riverbanks, lakeshores,
swamps, and other water-logged habitats. When in these conditions they can grow up to 120 ft tall and develop an oddly wide base, which is known as buttressing. But
probably the most distinctive feature of this species are their knees. You read that right, these trees have knees, cypress knees. They are woody projections of the root that come out of the ground in a cone shape when they are in very wet conditions. So not actual knees, but the closest thing a plant can get to them. There’s no definitive reason as to why they do this but there are a few theories. Such as potentially anchoring them down in soft unstable soils, or helping them in gas exchange by getting their roots out of the water. Cypress can be found in dryer areas, although it is rare and they tend to stay significantly smaller. On top of that they don’t develop characteristics like buttressing or knees

Because of where they like to spend most of their time,Bald cypress is a good telltale
sign of wetlands. They’re an important wetland species, and as wetlands are both state
and federally protected, cutting them is a big no no, even if they’re on your property.
That’s unless you get the required permits. So, if your wanting to buy a property, or build
on one and you see cypress, odds are there are wetlands. It’s always a smart choice to
know where the wetlands are on property and what the regulations are, and us at Verde
would be more than happy to help you figure that all out. We assist clients by doing
Wetland Delineations, Listed Species Habitat Assessments, and even the required
permitting, among other things. Feel free to email us at [email protected] for more
details.

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