alternating wet and dry periods. However, as with
most trees, extended drought will stress the bald
cypress; its foliage can turn brown and droop—
but it is likely to bounce back the next season.
Until the age of 60 or so, bald cypress can regenerate
new shoots from a cut trunk. The rot-resistant heart-
wood of mature bald cypress is useful for making
fence posts, doors, flooring, boats, etc. However,
these days it is harvested less for timber because it
is slow-growing and because, sadly, there are fewer
bald cypress tree stands than there once were.
Bald cypress trees—and the
cypress domes they can
collectively create—can provide food and habitat
for many species, including epiphytic plants, wood
duck, wild turkey, rare songbirds, frogs, toads, sala-
manders, catfish, and of course, alligators. The tops
of mature trees provide prime nesting sites for bald
eagles, ospreys, herons, and egrets. Bald cypress-for-
ested wetlands play a vital role in improving water
quality by serving as tertiary sewage treatment
facilities and aiding in recharging ground water.
Bald cypresses are generally free of pests and
diseases, but they can be slow to recover after
transplanting. A healthy bald cypress tree can
live up to 600 years; the
oldest living tree is
more than 2600 years old and found in south-
eastern North Carolina, along the Black River.
The showy buttresses of bald cypress in the Long Lake
Atchafalaya River Basin in south central Louisiana.
Photo from NOAA Library, in Public Domain
The feathery, alternately arranged foliage of bald cypress.
Photo Courtesy Cornell Woody Plants Database
A young bald cypress in an urban setting.
Photo Courtesy Cornell Woody Plants Database
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