Trees Planet: Taxodium ascendens

Monday, September 10, 2018

Taxodium ascendens - Pond Cypress

General Information

Common Name	Pond Cypress
Scientific Name	*Taxodium ascendens*
Sun Tolerance	Full Sun
Height	15 - 18 m (50 - 60 ft)
Spread	6 - 10 m (20 - 33 ft)
Growth Rate	Slow
Bloom Time	Winter
Color	Green,
Flower Color	Brown
Type	Tree
Native	USA.

Classification

Kingdom	Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision	Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division	Coniferophyta – Conifers
Class	Pinopsida
Subclass
Order	Pinales
Family	Cupressaceae – Cypress Family
Genus	Taxodium – Cypress
Species	T. ascendens

Taxodium ascendens - Pond Cypress

Taxodium ascendens commonly known as Pond Cypress is native to North American the southeastern United States, from southern Delaware to southeastern Louisiana and south into Florida except for the Florida Keys. It is a long living tree, this plant is estimated at 1000 years. This figure may be an underestimate, as The Senator, until recently growing in Longwood, Florida's Big Tree Park, was estimated to be over 3,400 years old.

Pond Cypress slow growing average tree grows 15 – 18 m (50 – 60 ft) in height. It has a narrower crown, is smaller, and has a more open habit. The bark is a paler gray color. Like Bald Cypresses, Pond Cypresses growing in water have a usually growth trait called cypress knees; these are woody limb pneumatophores sent above the water from the roots, perhaps enabling this plant to inhale air in habitat with flooded soil. The trunk is expanded at the base, even on young trees, assisting the tree in anchoring in the soft, muddy soil. This tree will grow best in a moist to wet area. Ideally it prefers slight acidity but will tolerate any moisture retentive soil. Best in full sun though can tolerate some light shade. The area where still black-water rivers, ponds and swamps without silt-rich flood deposits. It predominates in cypress dome habitats.

T. ascendens, is deciduous tree. The leaves are green in color but turn an attractive light brown in fall before dropping but the bare branches and light brown, ridged bark provide much landscape interest during the winter. It is very similar to Bald cypress, but the branchlets are usually ascending and the leaves are appressed instead of spreading laterally. Intergrades are not unusual and Pond cypress is sometimes considered a variety of Bald cypress. The leaves are 3 – 10 mm long, slenderer and are on shoots that tend to be erect rather than spreading.

Like as Bald Cypress, Pond Cypress also monoecious, so that both sexes’ flowers are found in the same tree. The male and female flowers forming on slender, tassel-like structures near the edge of branchlets. The male and female strobili are produced from buds formed in late autumn, with pollination in early winter. The male catkins are about 10 cm (4 in) long. The young seed cones are green and become grayish brown when mature. They are globular in shape and not over 2.5 cm (1 in) in diameter.

T. ascendens, also plant as ornamental plant in tub or in the park near the pond.