Bald Cypress
Bald Cypress
Scientific Name:
- Taxodium distichum
Species
- Bald Cypress
Type of Tree
Bonsai Style:
Bonsai Tree Size:
This large bald cypress was a demonstration tree for the Bonsai Society of Greater Cincinnati’s 60th anniversary in 2024 and was originally collected in 2023 (yamadori) and styled by Randy Bennett. It is in a clay pot measuring 27”x19.5” and is 9.5” tall.
Bald cypress trees are native North American large deciduous conifers growing up to 120 feet tall and 6 feet in diameter. They are pyramid shape when young with brown or gray fibrous bark. The trunk is rot resistant.
The leaves are needle-like, soft and feathery and are arranged alternately in two ranks along small twigs. They shed their leaves in the fall with colors of tan, cinnamon and fiery orange. The cones are green and globular and are made up of many scales with two triangular seeds.
Bald cypress has a special kind of root called “knees” that grow above the water to provide additional oxygenation for the roots. These trees are native to wet, swampy areas and prefer moist ground. Their extensive root system gives them some drought tolerance.
Q. What do “circa” and “in training” mean?
A. The circa date is roughly the year when the tree sprouted from its seed. The in training date is the year that it started being “trained” as a bonsai, which is to direct the growth of the tree usually by bending, pruning, and wiring its branches into a desired direction or shape.
Bald cypress are susceptible to Cypress Leaf Beetle, Fall Webworm, Cypress Twig Gall Midge, Mealybugs, Rust Mites, and Needle Blights. Treat monthly with a systemic pesticide and fungicide, and spot treat with malathion.