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Taxodium distichum

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© RHS 1997

Characteristics

Plant type

Conifer, Bog or Tree

Habit

Columnar/Upright

Resilience

Hardiness

old H4 (hardy)

Colour

Flower

Pale Green in Spring

Foliage

Brown and Yellow in Autumn
Pale Green in Spring and Summer

Fruit

Brown in Summer

Stem

Brown and Red in Autumn, Spring, Summer and Winter

Size

Ultimate height

Higher than 12 metres

Ultimate spread

4-8 metres

Time to ultimate height

20-50 years


Preferred common name

swamp cypress

Family

Cupressaceae


Taxodium are tall deciduous trees, narrowly conical in outline, with red-brown bark and soft, linear leaves colouring well in autumn

T. distichum is a deciduous coniferous tree to 20m or more, with a conical crown, fibrous red-brown bark and soft, feathery, light green foliage turning rich yellow-brown in autumn. Small ovoid cones

Other common names

  • bald cypress
  • deciduous cypress
  • sabino tree
  • southern cypress
  • white cypress

How to grow

Sunlight

  • Part shade
  • Full shade

Aspect

  • South-facing, North-facing, West-facing or East-facing
  • Exposed or Sheltered

Cultivation

Good specimen tree, suited to wet conditions

Soil

  • Moist but well-drained or Poorly-drained
  • Acid or Neutral
  • Chalk, Clay, Sand or Loam

Propagation

Propagate by seed

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Architectural or Low Maintenance


How to care

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

Generally pest free

Diseases

Generally disease free