Swamp cypress (Taxodium distichum)

Swamp cypress (Taxodium distichum) is a bog plant that can grow higher than 15m tall and 3m – 8m wide. In this growing guide we’ll learn the cultivation details and how to plant Swamp cypress (Taxodium distichum).

This plant has several common names including: swamp cypress, bald cypress, deciduous cypress, sabino tree, southern cypress or white cypress.

This is a deciduous plant that takes 20-50 years to reach full maturity.

Plant profile

Common name: swamp cypress, bald cypress, deciduous cypress, sabino tree, southern cypress, white cypress
Scientific name: Taxodium distichum
Plant type: Bogs, Conifers, Trees
Habit: Columnar / Upright
Height: Higher than 15m
Spread: 3m – 8m
Foliage: Deciduous
Sunlight: Full shade, Partial shade
Soil: Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Moisture: Moist but well drained, Poorly drained
Garden type: Architectural
Planting type: Low Maintenance

Seasonal colors

How to plant Swamp cypress (Taxodium distichum) – William L. Farr, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Whether small or large, formal or informal, every garden has space for an aquatic element. The sound and reflective qualities of water have long been used to add interest to gardens.

A pond, fountain or even a smaller water container greatly increases the variety of plants you can grow. In addition, they also encourage a wide variety of wildlife, including insects, frogs, toads and birds.

Together with plants, these elements offer a diversity of interests.

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How to plant

In this section we will learn how to plant Swamp cypress (Taxodium distichum), know its needs in terms of soil, watering and sun exposure.

Soil

Swamp cypress (Taxodium distichum) is a plant that adapts to all types of soils, chalk, clay, loam or sand.

• The chalky soil is pale and contains chunks of calcium-rich rock. It is a fertile and well-draining soil, almost always alkaline.

• Clay soil is composed of more than 25 percent clay particles. These particles have a high moisture holding capacity and the soil is heavy to dig and can be waterlogged in winter (dry in summer).

• The loam soil is dark, rich in organic matter but balanced in minerals. It offers the best of all worlds, retaining enough water for the plants, but allowing excess moisture to drain away. This is the most desired type of garden soil, perfect for most plants.

• Sandy soil is light, porous and very easy to drain. It is a soil poor in organic matter and nutrients. It is composed of relatively large mineral particles that allow water to drain quickly.

As for pH, it is a plant that grows ideally in soils with pH acid or neutral.

Regarding drainage, Taxodium distichum likes to grow in moist but well drained or humid or poorly drained soils.

Sunlight

Swamp cypress (Taxodium distichum) is a plant that should be grown in shade or partial shade positions.

Cultivation profiles – Growing Swamp cypress (Taxodium distichum) – Dominicus Johannes Bergsma, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons