Taxodium distichum

 

OVT Registration NoLCSD CW/50
Botanical Name:Taxodium distichum
Common Name:Bald Cypress
Family:Taxodiaceae

Bald Cypress is a deciduous tree native to southeastern North America, growing mainly in subtropical marshes.  Following its introduction to China, Bald Cypress has been extensively planted along the Yangtze River and south of it.

Bald Cypress often has a swollen base and breathing roots resembling bent knees.  The tree has brown bark fissured into long strips, and branches that spread horizontally.  The wood is heavy, coarse and even-textured, with straight grain that is pleasant to the eye.  Easy to process, it takes paint and coating well.  Its rot-tolerant and termite-resistant nature makes it a durable material for construction and also the manufacture of poles, cars, ships and furniture.  In China, Bald Cypress is widely grown in the Jiangnan area mainly for afforestation or as an ornamental in gardens.

This century-old Bald Cypress is 14 m tall with a crown spread of 12 m and a DBH of 1 280 mm.  While its main trunk was damaged by typhoon years ago, the tree is still growing well.

Location: Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens, near the Menageries

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Taxodium distichum Taxodium distichum Taxodium distichum Taxodium distichum
Taxodium distichum      

(Translated from Hong Kong Old and Valuable Trees)

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