Re: bald cypress   wad-@comcast.net
  Oct 17, 2005 21:02 PDT 
ENTS

How far north does Taxodium distichum grow (planted included)???? How can I tell pond cypress (Taxodium ascendens) from bald cypress???

I went to measure the state champion pond cypress on Friday. It is located in Hollidaysburg Pa near Altoona, at the foot of the Allegheny mountains. It came in at 11.2x59' with a 54x63 spread. It was my understanding that pond cypress was a narrow species with the foliage pointing upward? It was fairly prolific also, as seedlings were all through her garden. I have two in a pot!! What do you say?

Scott
Re: bald cypress   ad-@ldeo.columbia.edu
  Oct 18, 2005 05:12 PDT 


Scott,

Don Leopold has said there is a baldcypress planted in Montreal. There is one
planted in the cemetery
next to the forestry school in Syracuse, NY.

I believe you have the main diagnostic to separate the two species.

baldcypress:
http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=117
pondcypress :
http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=352

I recall pondcypress being somewhat smaller [not a good diagnostic] and 'more
delicate' than baldcypress [again, not a good diagnostic], but it has been a
while since I've been in pondcypress country. The upright needles on
pondcypress, however, is its best characteristic.

Hope this helps,
Neil
Re: bald cypress   wad-@comcast.net
  Oct 18, 2005 08:50 PDT 
Neil

Thanks for the reply. Montreal, geez. I guess it is a tough species. I love that web page you linked to. I use it alot. I think this tree might have been identified improperly. I hope to take my samples down to a nearby bald cypress to compare. Thanks again.

Scott
RE: bald cypress   Willard Fell
  Oct 19, 2005 05:21 PDT 
Cypress grows naturally to Delaware and Southern NJ on the east coast
and well up into Illinois and Indiana on the Ohio River Basin. I have
heard reports of it thriving at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston and also
in Southern Ontario.

The species moniker "ascendens" does address a proclivity for the
foliage to curve up somewhat. This is in a manner very similar to the
flowers/seed stalk of the sourwood trees up in the Appalachians. However
it is not unusual for the foliage to droop as well. There are several
differences between the two with a gradient between just as with many
species of oaks. I would guess the easiest difference to recognize would
be the foliage, that on Baldcypress being primarily pinnately needled
similar to the dawn redwood or English yew. The Pond Cypress having
closely appressed needles similar to red cedar or juniper. Again as with
oaks, one must look further up the tree with mature foliage as
baldcypress frequently display "pondcypress" foliage on younger
trees/lower branches and vice versa with pond cypress. Other differences
are bark thickness, Bald being less than .5 inches and Pond being
noticeably thicker and with deeper crevices. Also the knees are blunter
on pond cypress and the habitat is different, bald in rivers and running
water and pond in still water. The habit can be similar with either
displaying narrow crowns or broad flat tops depending on their environs.
RE: bald cypress   wad-@comcast.net
  Oct 19, 2005 11:11 PDT 
Will

Thank you for the info. So I guess it could still be a pond cypress even though it has a broad crown. I have not compared my sample to the known bald cypress yet, but I will. The tree I measured seemed to grow to the height of the building it was near and then spread out. I wonder if the winter wind plays a factor? Hollidaysburg does get some weather in winter.

Scott
RE: bald cypress   Willard Fell
  Oct 19, 2005 13:44 PDT 

pond_cypress.jpg (61748 bytes)

Scott:


Here is a nearby mill pond full of old pond cypress. The water level is
down about 4-5 ft below normal, so the butts are protruding higher than
normal. I would consider them broad topped.



WF