Baldcypress trees display a copper fall color.
Baldcypress is best known in the city of LaPorte as the grouping of trees that resides in the water of Clear Lake across from the amphitheater in Fox Park. Whether these specific trees were planted or occurred naturally there is unknown, however baldcypress are planted frequently around the city.
The largest I have seen here is almost 70 feet tall and about 2 1/2 feet in diameter at breast height (DBH). Most baldcypress in the city are smaller and younger than that, as they aren’t often found this far north and haven’t been a common planting choice very long. Still, they thrive well here and have few pest or disease problems.
The most common problem a baldcypress in LaPorte may encounter is called twig gall midge, which appears to cause no significant harm to the tree, but is unsightly. Baldcypress trees show tolerance to road salt, which helps their case as a street tree. In very wet areas, they often form “knees,” which are root extensions sticking straight up out of the ground. However, these rarely occur on dry sites.
Cypress knees are a unique sight in swamps in the Southeast.
Baldcypress are commonly referred to as a deciduous conifer because they are not “evergreen” and drop their needles every fall just after they turn a magnificent copper color. This trait, in association with their durable wood, helps prevent damage from heavy snow and ice during winter months. Baldcypress, like most conifers, tend to grow one central leader straight up instead of growing out, which is preferable in street trees. They require full sun at least half the day to thrive.
Baldcypress cones resemble those of the giant sequoia, a relative.
Baldcypress is only distantly related to true cypress trees and is most closely related to the coastal redwoods and giant sequoias of California. Like its West Coast relatives, baldcypress can live thousands of years on the best sites. In the harsh urban environment a street tree faces, I would personally still expect baldcypress to live for many hundreds of years.
You can look forward to seeing more examples of this unique tree planted around LaPorte.
KEITH O’HERRIN is the City Forester for the City of LaPorte. He can be found at the Park and Recreation Office at 250 Pine Lake Ave. or reached at 326-9600.
