Bald Cypress: Care & Growing Guide

When most people think of bald cypress, they picture a plant in an arboretum or botanical garden. The bald cypress appears to be a novelty tree. Bald cypress care and its cultivars are neglected and underappreciated in the landscape, despite their durability, longevity, and overall landscape value. In Texas, bald cypress grows at elevations ranging from 989 to 1748 feet (300 to 530 meters). There have been reports of bald cypress growing in zones 5 and colder in Minnesota and New York.

It can withstand high winds, ice, and snow with little to no damage. The fresh seed cones are symmetric with a faint pinkish-green tint, and the tree itself makes a breathtakingly attractive silhouette in the winter. When a bald cypress tree is planted in or near water, it develops knees. They are irregular conical constructions that protrude above the water line or ground level around the tree. Bald cypress knees are a unique feature that is not found in any other conifer species.

Bald cypress growing in moist environments can become large over time, but trees living in a regular terrain can develop faster. Landscape trees will have more limbs and thus more leaves, but water-stressed trees will have fewer limbs and leaves. The origins of 'Cascade Falls' can be traced back to a New Zealand horticulturalist, Graeme Platt, and his wife. One tree, however, had a cascading growth pattern that garden visitors remarked on. 'Cascade Falls,' a bald cypress, is now widely available in the United States.

'Peve Yellow' is a yellow-needled, heavily branching tree that grows half as fast as bald cypress. Job Vergeldt prunes the branches annually to 1-2"", resulting in what she refers to as a "forest of green totem-poles." She chose a 'wettish' area of her land, but observes that given her Mediterranean climate, the trees survive with only twice-weekly drip irrigation. Pond cypress (Taxodium ascendens) has increased in favor in recent years, in part because it is smaller, narrower, and more conical than Bald Cypress. Pond cypress is less resilient than bald cypress and, unlike bald cypress, does not flourish in the Mississippi River delta.

It is a highly underutilized conifer with a magnetic drawing force that draws one's quick attention. The largest tree on the National Register of Big Trees is a 100-foot-tall tree in Bowie, Maryland, according to the National Register of Big Trees.

Poison Pepper Vine Plants

Pepper vine, Ampelopsis arborea, is a member of the grape family, or Vitaceae as scientists call it, and a bit of a misfit. According to the Lady Bird Johsnon Wildflower Center, it's a shrubby, woody vine that can grow to be 35 feet long or more — up to 72 feet. However, its fruit, which turns black when ripe, is widely thought to be inedible to humans. In other aspects, peppervine resembles Virginia creeper, another native vine with woody stems that, like poison ivy, may be a pain in the buttocks. As far as we can tell, peppervine is not listed as a noxious weed or invasive by any agency or state.

According to some sources, the berries contain calcium oxalate, which can induce numbness in the mouth and throat. Cow itch, sometimes known as buck vine, is one of its common names. Anyone interested in trying the material should exercise caution, according to the University of North Carolina Extension Office. There is some disagreement about whether peppervine is poisonous. Peppervine (Ampelopsis arborea L. Koehne), a grape-related plant, is native to Texas.

According to Robert A. Vines' book, Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of the Southwest, it is also found in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. Two to four seeds are found in each berry. This plant is frequently confused for poison ivy. Peppervine is a woody deciduous stalk and vine with non-adhesive tendrils that mimic native grapes. Hand pulling is the greatest management option for most gardeners, especially in the spring.

Because it has a very deep tap root, an older, more developed plant stalk should be cut near the ground, and the cut stems should be treated with a broadleaf herbicide. If you are unsure if you are dealing with peppervine or poison ivy, contact your local County Extension Office for guidance.