Taxodium ascendens Brongn.

Pond cypress, pondcypress

Closely similar cypress species

	You are here Taxodium ascendens	Taxodium distichum
Common Name	pond cypress	bald cypress
Plant	Trees are 49–59′ (15–18 m) tall. Like other cypresses, they have “knees”—woody projections that extend above the water line—and buttressed trunks. Knees are less common and smaller than for bald cypress. These have thicker bark than bald cypress trees, an adaptation for fire resistance. Often branches are draped with Spanish moss.	33–131′ (10–40 m) tall, with a trunk 3–7′ (90–210 cm) in diameter. Bark is grayish or reddish-brown, and fibrous. Though conifers, these are deciduous, dropping their needle-like leaves in the winter. They are often seen in swampy areas, and develop a distinctive flared base in water, surrounded by knobby root growths. They are frequently festooned with Spanish moss. The tallest specimen is 145′ (44 m) tall, and the oldest is 2,624 years of age—the oldest known tree in eastern North America.
Leaves	Overlapping, appressed, spirally arranged scale-like leaves are up to ¼″ (8.5 mm) long. The leaves resemble evergreen needles, but they are dropped in the winter. They are more threadlike, while bald cypress leaves are more feathery.	Alternate, needle-shaped leaves are linear, ½–¾″ (1.3–1.9 cm). They are soft and feathery, and turn yellow or coppery red in the fall.
Fruit	Oval or round, 1–3 ⨉ ½–1″ (2.5–7.6 ⨉ 1.3–2.5 cm).	Male and female cones appear on the same tree. Male cones form on panicles 4–5″ (10–13 cm) long. Female cones are round and resinous when young, turning hard and brown later. They are spherical and ¾–1¼″ (2–3.5 cm) around. Each cone contains 20-40 seeds.
Range/ Zones	USDA Zones: 5b-9b	USDA Zones: 4-9
Habitats	Southern swamps, bayous, and rivers, tolerating flooding for extended periods. Usually found on pond margins rather than in deeper water.	It thrives in many subtropical habitats—wet, salty, dry, or swampy.

Taxodium ascendens description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.

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