Bald Cypress | Congaree National Park (S.C.)

Taxodium distichum
• Only deciduous southern conifer
• Height to 150 feet with diameter to 12 feet
• Light and feathery foliage
• Frilly leaves
• A conifer that sheds leaves all at once
• Horizontal roots
• Mature tree develops broad, round heads with 100 ft spread
• Most common understory tree in this area
• Male cones hang downward
• Loves water
• Fluted base for support
• "Knees" are modified roots
• Habitats include freshwater wetlands and swamps